Dreams and Dads
by Forever-Tangled
Summary: Modern AU; sequel to "Welcome Home". Rapunzel and Eugene are blissfully married and their first child is on its way, but what happens when Rapunzel's biological father comes into the picture? And what happens when Eugene is inspired to dig into his own past? Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the laptop I'm writing this on. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, all! Thanks for choosing to read this! It's a sequel to my story "Welcome Home", and if you haven't read it yet, perhaps you'll want to before reading this. Also, I may or may not have a poem that "Eugene" wrote at the end of each chapter. I'm trying to improve my poetry, so if anyone has some constructive criticism, please feel free to let me know. It'd be much appreciated!  
Anyway, I'm probably rambling a little bit. Enjoy!  
This takes place about two years after the first story, "Welcome Home".  
**

* * *

Eugene pried his shoes off of his feet at the doorway, grinning to himself as he caught a glimpse of his wife in the kitchen, just now dishing out their supper. He still couldn't believe he got to come home to such a precious gal.  
He strode over and settled his chin on top of her head, hugging her from behind. "Hey you. I missed you today."  
She giggled. "Hey. You say that every day when you have long trips for shipment pickups,"  
"Well, it's true," he teased. "How did things go for you today?"  
She left her hand drift to cover her belly. "We're officially past the morning sickness stage, I think. Work was the usual,"

Eugene and Rapunzel had married only two months after their engagement. A Justice of the Peace had married them; all of the workers from the bookstore where they both worked had attended. Pretty much their entire world, right there. She'd worn a pretty white dress that had hung loosely around her calves, and upon seeing her, Eugene had felt incredibly under-dressed in his new jeans and button-up shirt, which hadn't even been tucked in. But it had been the happiest day of their lives.

Two years and one more published book later, Eugene and Rapunzel had found out that they would be expecting their first child. It was both a nerve-wracking and delightful realization. Sure, now they were financially stable - with both of them working and Eugene selling books. But would they be good parents? Neither of them had been exposed to _good _parenting techniques. Rapunzel had reassured him that they knew their upbringings had been wrong and now they knew exactly what _not _to do: a classic optimist's approach. Very Rapunzel-esque. That was one of many reasons why he loved this girl so dearly.

Rapunzel set the spaghetti and garlic bread on the table, and he grabbed some iced tea from the fridge and poured glasses for both of them. He grabbed the brown paper bag he'd left at the door and set it on the table, revealing a gooey chocolate cake from the town's little diner - their favorite spot to eat.  
"You're amazing," Rapunzel blurted immediately, and he laughed.  
"You are, too. That spaghetti sauce smells good." This spring, she'd started a little garden in their tiny backyard, and had had a successful harvest that August, canning what seemed to be an abundance of sauce, which tasted spectacular. The canning process had been relatively easy - minus the little accident with the pressure canner. They were still finding bits of sauce on the white ceiling. With the cool promise of fall in the air, a warm supper coated with something from their own garden was great.

"Thank you," she smiled. They sat at their little round, wooden table and held hands across the table as they blessed the meal together. She'd been beyond thrilled when, before their marriage, he'd converted to Christianity along with her, and they'd found a small church that they were still settling into. Before she'd met Eugene, she'd been a church drifter; one who flitted from one congregation to the next, always feeling isolated in the world of seemingly perfect people who always pried for her back story. It turned out that many of those perfect, nosy individuals had secrets of their own, but they all had turned to their faith for help.

As they ate, she brought up a fairly big topic. "We need to renovate one of the rooms upstairs for a bedroom," she announced.  
Eugene nodded. He wasn't too awful in carpentry, but home renovation was a big, ugly, complicated thing. Nonetheless, it needed to be done - and soon! "Which room were you thinking of?"  
"The library, of course. It's right off our bedroom, and it's _such _a fairytale of a place. Maybe when he or she gets older, we'll flipflop or even fix up the third level."  
Their old Victorian house had three spacious levels - which Eugene hadn't even known about until they'd married. The uppermost floor was completely empty, but consisted of three large, bare rooms. The middle floor had a beautiful, small, tower-like library attached to the side of the house, which connected to their bedroom, and down a hallway was Rapunzel's painting studio. Down the spiral staircase was their living room, large kitchen, and dining room, which were all connected in a wonderfully open floor plan.  
He nodded. "The library could be moved to the third floor. Or heck, the studio's large enough that we could dedicate a little wall space there, if you wouldn't mind."  
She grinned, visualizing this. "That would be nice, actually. That would leave the whole third floor open for bedrooms-"  
"How many babies are we expecting?" he asked, half-teasing.

"I guess we'll be in trouble if it's quadruplets; someone would have to share a room," she threw back, grinning good-naturedly.  
"I hope not," he chuckled. "Not for first-time parents."  
She nodded, brushing her long hair away from her face as she analyzed the house around her. They'd need to get things for the baby sometime soon - a gradual process, since they were starting from scratch and she wasn't planning on having a baby shower. "I'm getting pretty excited. Once we get the library moved, I can start painting the room and then I guess it's shopping for us!"  
He nodded. "Will you be okay painting? I mean, I know you _can_, but the fumes and such."  
"Oh, yes. I'll leave it the plain cream color that it is and just wash the walls down and paint designs with my acrylics."  
"Okay," he let a slow smile creep across his face. "It's all going to be coming together pretty soon..."  
She gave him a dazzling grin. "I'm _so _excited!"

"I can tell," he chuckled quietly, giving her an adoring gaze when she wasn't looking.  
"How?" her eyes flitted up and she gave him a curious, even gaze.  
"I've only been married to you for two years," he joked. "But no, your entire _being _is just shining. More than usual."  
She shrugged, her smile widening, and she paused to chew a mouthful of dinner before continuing. "How is the next book coming along?"  
Eugene wavered his hand back and forth. "So-so. I've hit a rut." He was working on the sequel to his most recent release. "My characters don't want to cooperate."  
She nodded. While that explanation might seem a little off the wall to some, when one is married to or know an author for any length of time, they learn to fully understand that sentence. "They don't want to follow the plot you had figured out? Or do they all want a vacation?"  
"I'm not sure," he sat for a moment, his brown eyes blinking. Rapunzel noticed his eyes were as soft and deep-colored as the cake that sat waiting. "I think I'm just over-thinking."  
"If you're thinking about over-thinking, then you probably are, sweetie," she laughed.

"Hey, don't laugh, it's a real problem!" he threw back good-naturedly. Hard as he tried to pull an 'I'm offended' face and attitude to tease her, he couldn't. Besides, too much teasing plus a wife with mood swings...they weren't exactly simpatico. Ever. "But, I'm also working on something else."  
"Oh?" she asked. "What is it?"  
He shook his head. "You'll have to wait and see."  
"Aw," she tried to pull a puppy-dog-pout, but he shook his head again and hid a grin. He was working on another book of poetry, but it wasn't going to be published, and he was saving it for when Rapunzel would stay home on maternity leave with the newborn.

**That's Why I Love You  
**_Your amazing smile  
It leaves me flying high for awhile.  
Your soft eyes  
So gentle, stunning, and wise.  
Your silly giggle  
Soft, bright, and bubbly; never brittle  
And that's why I love you._

_Your face always glows,  
When I see you, my heart grows  
Freckles sprinkle your cheeks,  
And I'm so blessed, how a smile creeps  
Upon your lips when you see me.  
And that's why I love you._

_Your hair, smooth as chocolate,  
And absolutely flawless.  
Your sleepy little smile,  
While you're nestled right beside me for awhile.  
Your eyes, so expressive;  
And that's why I love you._

_I could continue on and on,_  
_'Til you get bored and yawn._  
_But next time you wonder,_  
_Look in the mirror, look into your soul, and see why I'm blissfully under_  
_A spell you cast;_  
_Why my affection for you is so vast._  
_That's why I love you._


	2. Chapter 2

The following month, Rapunzel went for the sonogram that would tell her whether the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. She carefully put her sonogram photos in her purse and, since it was a Friday and she'd called off work for the appointment, she'd go shopping. Her appointment had been moved to an open slot due to a cancellation the evening before, and Eugene had promised to help Levi in a fairly long trip for a book shipment and couldn't call off, since they couldn't tell the store on such short notice- nor did he feel right missing the sonogram, however - so he wasn't with her.

She headed to the local mall and surveyed the infant section. She was about halfway through her pregnancy, and her belly pooched her soft, blue blouse out. She couldn't say she wasn't happy that she'd had the day off, because it was still the 'busy' season at the bookstore. Not that she minded work, but she was happy for a day to herself. And the baby.

In one month, they'd gotten the library transformed into a lovely little nursery, and had gotten a cradle to boot. But they needed _everything_...she suddenly felt overwhelmed. What were the necessities, and what were not? Faced with an entire section of the mall devoted to infant _stuff_, she suddenly wanted to run screaming for the comfort of her four parenting books, which she'd purchased as soon as they'd gotten the news. Not that the books gave very reliable information, anyhow - they each contradicted one another! Too bad her sonogram photos didn't come with an instruction manual and "items that _need _purchased" list, too.

She sighed and decided that she'd head down to the mall's book store first, which almost seemed like a crime, visiting another book store on the day that she was off work at Mr. Barnes' shop! A pleasant jolt of electricity ran through her when she saw the small shelf dedicated to a certain Eugene Fitzherbert's newest book, a mystery that Rapunzel had read in one sitting. Not that it was short - at three hundred and six pages - , it was simply _that good_. Of course, he'd been utterly embarrassed at the fact that his wife couldn't put the book down, not even to eat dinner with the author of said book. It was well on its way to becoming a bestseller, and he was hopping with trying to keep stores stocked. Two publishing companies had offered to pick it up, promote and sell it for him, but he was a little wary after his first experience.

Rapunzel restrained herself from buying _one more _parenting book. Then, instead of heading back to the pastel-rainbow of an infant department, she headed to the bath and body shop, which always had plenty of good-smelling lotions. This time, though, the smell was incredibly overpowering, and she practically ran from the store. A very alarmed store clerk gawked after her, the usual spiel of "Hello, how may I help you?" drifting off with the slight breeze created by Rapunzel's departure.

_That's a sign that you really need to get some shopping done for our little pumpkin, _Rapunzel told herself, gulping down a breath of non-perfumed air before reluctantly returning to the infant department. What was so horribly intimidating? When she returned, she remembered what. Rubbing the back of her neck, she decided that they had at least two or three months before they _needed _to buy all the supplies, and she'd just window shop, sort of. Get a general idea of what they'd need. Eventually, though, she headed back to her - _their_ \- cozy Victorian house, ate a quick dinner after texting Eugene, asking if he would be home for dinner (and getting a 'no, sorry', followed by a sad-face-emoticon in reply), and sat down on the couch with a book.

Eugene came home at nine o'clock to find Rapunzel curled up on the couch, a book held loosely in her hands, fast asleep. He grinned and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before looking in the refrigerator for some leftovers. Finding a stir fry from three days ago, he dished it out and warmed it, hoping he wouldn't wake her. While he was eating, though, Rapunzel jerked awake.  
"Oh! Sorry. I was planning to have something dished out for you. Didn't you text?" she sat up, yawning. "When did you come back?"  
He chuckled. "That's okay. I can feed myself, sweetie. I got back around nine," he smiled at her and she went to the fridge, pulling out a jar of pickles and fishing one out with her fingers.  
"No text?" As she asked this, her cell phone vibrated on the center counter. "Oh." she gave him a sheepish grin.  
"So, how did today go? I'm sorry I didn't come with-"  
"It's fine," she waved it off with a smile. "I told you it was okay. And..." she got up, hand covering her belly, and went in search of her purse, where she pulled the sonogram photos from.  
She handed them wordlessly to Eugene, who studied them and the text on them with a faint smile on his face. "Girl?"  
"Girl," she confirmed, letting her own smile sprawl across her face.

He reached to grasp her hand over the table, squeezing it. For a moment, he didn't even speak, he just gazed at his wife with a mixture of awe and immeasurable joy. He didn't even know _what _to say.  
"Are you okay?" she asked, not sure if she should laugh or cry. Was he upset? It didn't look like he was, but...  
"No! N-no. Wait. Yes! Yes, I'm fine," he shook his head and chuckled. "I just don't know what to say. I'm just incredibly excited."  
She laughed, relaxing. "Good. I thought maybe you'd be upset. Maybe you were hoping for a boy, maybe it all became a little too real..."  
"No," he shook his head and leaned over the table to give her a quick peck on the mouth. "No, babe. I'm so happy!"  
Rapunzel laughed, watching him with smiling eyes. "I am too. But you're going to have to help me shop sometime before Christmas. The infant aisle is extremely intimidating."  
"O, brave Rapunzel, pray don't force me to face the Baby Supplies Monster! _Pray _don't, dear lady! I cannot bear the thought!" he teased dramatically, making her choke on a pickle. Smothering his laughter, he asked, "A-are you okay?"  
She coughed, grabbed his glass of water, downed it, and cleared her throat before answering. "Don't tease me when I'm eating!" she reached over the table to swat his arm playfully, and he leaned just out of reach.

"Well, don't put food in your mouth when I'm speaking," he gave her a cocky grin, and she rolled her eyes, suppressing a grin.  
"Don't speak when I'm putting food in my mouth," she tossed back, standing up and snatching his empty plate to take it to the sink. He followed her, reaching around her to take the plate.  
"I'll clean up," he said, still smiling from their banter.  
"No, I can," she shook her head. "I can still walk, not waddle, so-" he broke her off with a quick kiss, which she was more than happy to return, taking the plate and setting it in the sink so he could take the hint and wrap her in his arms. _Perfect_.  
When he pulled away, he gave her a loving smile, plopping kisses on her cheeks and forehead. "You're obviously sleepy, if you fell asleep on the couch before nine o'clock, so you head up and go to sleep."  
"Well, I'm awake-now," she started to disagree, but it was punctuated by a yawn. He shook his head, holding back a chuckle, and she grinned in mild embarrassment. "Okay, maybe you're right. Okay. If you're sure, I'll do just that."  
He gave her another kiss goodnight and watched as she left the room, climbing the fairytale-like spiral staircase. He was so lucky, he decided as he made himself focus on the dirty dishes at hand.

**Little Duckling  
**_I can see it now  
Don't know how,  
But I can.  
The little one as she runs  
Around and around the center counter  
Watching her parents' playful banter  
_

_She'll be like a little duckling,  
Her little eyes sparkling  
And she'll follow her momma; little duckling.  
If I'm lucky, she'll love me too,  
But she'll be her momma's little girl.  
I just hope time doesn't pass in a whirl.  
_

_All too soon, she'll be a swan,  
All the boys showing off their brawn  
And hoping to catch her eye.  
But for now she'll stay in our embrace,  
See that life isn't a race  
And our little duckling she'll remain._


	3. Chapter 3

Late October brought a chilly Saturday that was perfect for baby-stuff shopping. Just a few days prior, Rapunzel had finally felt the baby stirring, which had brought a flood of excitement and terror. And immense curiosity and fascination at the child she would have in her arms before the end of February.

The plethora of infant supplies in the proper department had only increased.  
"Why don't we, ah, head to..." Eugene tried to turn and leave - geez, was he allergic to baby powder? Was this going to be a problem? - but Rapunzel wordlessly grabbed his elbow and kept him cemented beside her.  
"You're taller and we're in this together." Rapunzel muttered, staring at an item as she tried to decide what exactly it _was. _"You're coming with."

Slowly, they found the very bare bones basics, so Rapunzel went for a cart, which they hadn't expected they'd need. She didn't hurry, mostly because of the uncomfortable boots she wore and the fear that she'd trip over the unfamiliar shoes on her feet, fall, and hurt the baby somehow. But she wanted to run when she heard someone yell her name, snatching her attention.  
She spun around on one heel, looking around. The voice had been unfamiliar, so a queasy feeling set into her stomach. Her hand instinctively pressed over her stomach, and the baby kicked against the pressure. She couldn't see anyone in the crowd, but a tall, small-boned - almost _scrawny _\- man was working his way towards her.  
"Rapunzel Louisa Fitzherbert?" he asked. His pale blond hair was messy, but Rapunzel felt a jolt of curiosity when she met his eyes. Through the thick lenses he wore, she could see a pair of eyes nearly the same as hers. She backed up a step, bumping into her cart.  
"Who are you?" she asked, swallowing to contain her boiling, burning blend of curiosity, fear, and her urge to flee.

He paused a few feet away from her, and she took in his baggy jeans and wrinkled, striped tee. "I'm, well, I'm Charles Sparks. I don't expect you to know me, now, but I'm your...well, I'm your biological father. Don't-no, don't freak," he grimaced as Rapunzel reacted. She felt as if her stomach had dropped to her feet, and she gaped, grabbing her cart and swinging it in between both of them. But she couldn't deny their similarities, even she could see them.  
"H-how did you find me?" she asked, trying to mask her suspicious tone. _Two years have really rusted up my acting skills_, she thought to herself.  
He rubbed the back of his neck, regarding the cart in between them. "Your husband's books, actually. Eugene Fitzherbert?" She nodded. "I read his dedications and, well, I don't know any people by the name of Rapunzel Louisa. I knew your name because the adoption agency called me to make sure it was okay to put you up for adoption," he said quietly.

She wanted to walk away, to push her past behind her. But here it was, front and center. She blinked and watched him critically. "Yeah. Well, it was nice meeting you, sir," she pulled on a smile and tried to move her cart, but he put a hand on it, stopping her. She felt like she couldn't handle this. The very thing that she'd hoped for for a decade was now enough to make her insides tremble with a deadly mix of emotions. She didn't want to get hurt. Not again. _"I haven't spoken with him since the wretch was born. Scared him off, the surprise task of fatherhood," her biological mother had told the orphanage. _ She pushed back the memory.  
"Where's your husband? It's a weekend, surely you'd be together. Please tell me he's not some idiot who spends too much time on his work than-"  
Rapunzel snapped. Blame it on the mood swings, blame it on her pent-up fear, but it was enough to make the typically kind girl snarl. "He's with me. In the infant department. He cares about both me and our baby, unlike some people in this world!" she snapped, pushing past him. She didn't wait to see how badly she'd hurt him, she didn't _care_, she was just furious. How could someone like him assume that Eugene was an awful husband? Of all people, _her father_!

"Rapunzel, I'm sorry. Please hear me out-"  
She pushed past the quiet thought in her head that told her to listen to him, heading for the aisle she'd left her husband. "Eugene?"  
"Still here," he called, stepping out. If she had not been agitated, worried, confused, and feeling a little guilty over snapping at Charles, she would have laughed. The tall man's arms were piled with things ranging from bottles to cloth diapers, and he was struggling to keep them all from falling. As he set the objects inside the cart, he chatted. "I don't know if we want to go with cloth diapers, but here are some for you to look at, and-is there something wrong, sweetie?"  
Rapunzel cleared her throat and glanced behind her. Charles was still approaching. _Darn it_. Her heart leaped and her mind fumbled to construct a sentence. What did she even want to say? She didn't know. She turned her attention back towards Eugene, whose face was tilted slightly to the side as he studied her face. "Do you see the man with pale hair heading our way? He's, um...he's-"

"Please hear me out. I contacted the orphanage, they told me you had tried to meet your mother and I. How can you be so-so volatile?" Charles asked as he neared.  
"Hold up. You're Rapunzel's father?" Eugene's eyebrows shot up, nearly disappearing under his chocolate colored hair. "Rapunzel?"  
She looked between the two men, but finally focused on what Charles had said. "Do you know why I am upset? My biological mother said I was a mistake. Why would a father who leaves his newborn baby and its mother? _How_ could he? And why would he possibly care, almost twenty four years later? I searched for years, but-but when I found what I was looking for, no one cared." She could feel her throat tighten as she remembered the day. Her biological mother had stood her up when she'd asked to meet her. The only one who had been around to save her had been Eugene. It was when she finally realized he cared about her, a lot.

Charles' face clouded with confusion. "I was never contacted."  
"They tried to get contact information." Rapunzel rubbed her temples, which were throbbing with the beginnings of a headache. "Look, I-I...I'm sorry, but...you found out where in the world I was based on the dedication in Eugene's books?"  
"Yes, I-"  
"If you're trying to use us, it's not going to happen. Father or not!" she declared. "Eugene, come on. We can browse another day."  
But Eugene looked completely lost, looking between his wife and her supposed father as he tried to piece together information. Undoubtedly, it sounded fishy, but what if the man truly was trying to be the father he'd never been?  
Charles' eyes filled with pain. "I'm sorry you feel that way. And I guess I can understand-"  
Rapunzel spoke quietly, but her voice trembled with emotion. "No, you can't understand the half of it."  
"But I want to," he gave her a pleading look. "I want to know the baby girl I was stupid enough to give up."  
How would she feel if her unborn daughter refused her? Her throat constricted, and she could hardly breathe. She slowly let herself relax, but then her eyes filled with an ocean of tears which were barely held back. Wasn't this what she'd wanted so badly up until two years ago? She turned towards Eugene, who immediately caught the look in her eyes and came to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.  
"Let him, Rapunzel. He doesn't act like he's lying," he leaned in to whisper, masking it with a kiss by her ear. "But if you don't think you can, don't." He knew the expression in her eyes well; she'd transformed back to the little girl who was scared of her past. He hated it.

She turned back towards Charles, who looked absolutely lost. "H-how did you know it was me? When you called my name?"  
He shook his head, a wry smile crossing his thin lips. "You have your mother's nose and hair. You have my build and my eyes. I took a chance."  
Rapunzel bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "How do I know I can trust you?"  
Charles sighed. "There's no real evidence to prove you can trust me aside from my lack of a criminal record," he joked weakly. "But I have a good job and have no real need for money, if you're worried about that. I work at an auto repair shop in Buffalo. Never married. It's just that, well, something happened a few months ago that made me think about the life I threw away by letting you go."  
"Why _did _you let me go?" she asked. "And who was my biological mother?"  
"If you let me buy you lunch at this little diner I saw in town, I'll give you the back story," he said.  
Rapunzel paused, casting a glance towards Eugene. He was pretending to look at a display. She gulped. Stuffed her hands in her front jeans pockets to mask their shivering. "Okay," she said quietly. "What time?"  
"Twelve thirty?" he asked.  
She nodded, glancing at her watch. Her father's face lit in a genuine smile, and he acted a little awkward, almost as if he wanted to say something more, but then he left, stating that he couldn't wait to talk to them both.


	4. Chapter 4

Rapunzel twisted her fingers together until they were a knotted mess as she sat waiting for her father to come to the diner. Would he stand her up? Was it some cruel joke? She couldn't help being a little pessimistic about the whole thing. Maybe suspicious was the better word. Eugene was sitting beside her, and grabbed her hands in his, untangling them and keeping them still, enveloped in the silent promise that he'd be there for her no matter what happened.

Then the pale haired man actually came. He readjusted his thick glasses as he surveyed the cafe for his daughter's face, which he'd only seen once. Rapunzel almost jumped out of her seat in surprise when he sat down across from them both.  
"Did I scare you? I'm sorry," he apologized immediately, giving her a sheepish expression.  
Rapunzel shook her head. "No, ah,-I was just, um, lost in thought." _Wondering how long I should sit waiting for you. Not three hours like I did the first time, when my biological mother stood me up! _  
Eugene glanced down at his watch. It was twelve twenty-nine; they hadn't been waiting all that long and he was a minute early. He was mildly surprised; maybe this guy was the real deal and behind honest.  
"We'll get some food ordered and then I'll start spilling my guts, hm?" he asked, waiting for them both to nod before falling into an uncomfortable silence.  
Rapunzel was almost ready to burst with curiosity and suspicion by the time their food arrived. Curiosity and suspicion over her father, of course. Not over the food.

"So?" she asked, nibbling a French fry. "What's the tale I never knew?"  
Charles took in a deep breath, blinking. "You want from the beginning on, I suppose?"  
"Of course," she nodded.  
"Well...I was stupid. That's virtually all you need to know. I was a stupid kid who thought he ruled the world. Don't most teenagers think that?"  
Rapunzel glanced towards Eugene, who shrugged. He'd never had that feeling.  
"I suppose, some," she said.  
"Well, then I met your mother. She was sixteen, an absolute piece of work that fascinated me, and I was seventeen going on eighteen, and, well...I was just out of high school when you were born. We were both irresponsible about it. She told me early on she didn't want the baby. I didn't know what to do. I was all for giving you up for adoption, but then she sent me sonogram photographs. That was _my baby girl. _I didn't feel right giving you up for adoption, then. When I told your mother that I wanted to keep you and we could have a chance, we'd marry young and raise you together, she wouldn't have it. I was planning on keeping you and raising you, though, but...then something happened."  
"What?" Rapunzel asked. She was riveted now; she was leaning forward and staring at him. She'd thought so differently. He'd wanted her? But why? Why hadn't he gotten her?

Charles swallowed. "I told you I was stupid, right? I went to a graduation party that night. Some of us got drunk. I did too. Well, you came a little early. I got the call from the hospital that you were being born, and I...swerved off the road to miss what I thought was a deer. It wasn't anything except my stupid intoxicated imagination. But with that aside, in my irritation and drunkenness, I spat at the lady on the other end of the phone, told her I couldn't deal with some kid, and let her know that I didn't want contacted anymore about it. When I sobered up, I realized what I'd done, but I guess you'd already been adopted out. I didn't know what to do, so I gave up. I figured you'd fallen into better hands anyway. I never saw your mother again, she called me and said she was glad I hadn't kept you, but when I said it had been a stupid mistake and I'd been intending to, she never talked to me again. _Did _you fall into good hands?" 

Rapunzel stared at him for a moment, but then let her eyes drop as her mind registered the question. It was because of drunkenness that he'd given her up. Her mother had been the true villain of her story; never wanting her from the moment she knew she was pregnant. Rapunzel's throat tightened as she tried to imagine that feeling. She'd been so overwhelmed with joy when she'd found out she was with child. She instinctively brushed her fingertips across her sleeve where her long, jagged scar was, remembering the blood that had covered the lips of flesh and dripped on the white carpet. Because of the woman who had adopted her - _no_, she had not fallen in good hands. Eugene glanced over at her and set a hand on her knee underneath the table.  
"Ah, well...it's in the past now, I guess," Rapunzel gave a small smile to her father. She didn't want to make him feel bad.  
"_Did _you?" he persisted, his brow wrinkling. "I want to know, Rapunzel."  
She tried to swallow, but her throat barely let her. "No. I didn't. My adoptive mother, Veronica, abused me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I ran away when I was eighteen. I came here and my employer took me in until I got a place to rent. Because of it, I take a long time to warm up to people and let them in. I'm sorry if I seem cold, but I'm just..." she trailed off, glancing towards Eugene. "Afraid of getting hurt, I guess. Again. I'm truly glad to know all of this and meet you, though, sir."  
He looked deflated. His shoulders slumped and he swallowed, staring down at their table. "I'm so sorry." He looked back up at her almost shyly before blurting, "I want to know you, Rapunzel. I-I want to know your favorite color and celebrate your birthday. I want to learn about your hobbies. I want to hear your laugh and see your smile. I want to see your wedding photos and talk about good times, bad times, and your first date. I know it's late and I understand if you don't want me, but I want to be the dad I never was. I'm willing to give it my all. Is it too late?"

Rapunzel blinked. "No. No, I guess it isn't," she said quietly. She was almost afraid to tell him so; she couldn't bear the thought of him hurting her. But she'd take the risk.  
His face split into a large smile, and he impulsively reached over the table to take her smooth hands in his, but then hesitated awkwardly. She laughed and slipped her hands in his, feeling the bony, calloused hands enclosing hers. "I'm glad," he said, nodding several times.  
Eugene was feeling pretty awkward at this point; not altogether sure what to do except observe and steal one of his wife's fries when she wasn't looking. He felt a twinge of sadness as he thought about his own parents, which he'd never met. He wasn't jealous of Rapunzel - certainly not - but wondered what his own parents would have been like.

Later that day, Rapunzel collapsed on the couch after situating all of their new baby supplies in the library-transformed-into-a-nursery. "Oh my gosh, today was too much," she groaned, watching Eugene as he finished cleaning the kitchen after their dinner. "You're amazing, by the way. Thank you."  
"You're welcome," he cast her a smile over his shoulder. "How are you feeling? I mean, about your dad."  
She sighed, staring off into space for a moment as she mulled it over in her head. How _did _she feel? "Confused. Well, not necessarily _confused _necessarily, but...I just don't know. I want to trust him and let him be my dad - I mean, I've wanted that for so long, Eugene! But I'm scared he's just trying to play us."  
He nodded, removing the brown dish towel from his shoulder and hanging it on its little hook on the side of the center counter before heading to the couch, sitting down beside her. "I can understand that, certainly. But unless he's a really good - and pathological - liar, he was being truthful with you. Did you see the look of pure happiness on his face when you laughed and let him hold your hands? He was on cloud nine. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have been so delighted by that, I don't think."  
She nodded, yawning and curling up on her side, settling her head in his lap and staring across the room at one of her more recent paintings. He put a hand on her shoulder and used the other to stroke her long brunette hair. "Yeah. I suppose you're right. Why do you think he decided to look for me, though?"  
Eugene made an uncertain sound. "That, I don't know. You'll have to find that out, I suppose."  
"Do you think our baby will get to meet her grandfather, then?" she asked. "I'd been thinking about that a lot. How she wouldn't have any relatives, really."  
"I hope so. If he's a good guy. And I don't really doubt it...and you know me," he chuckled, thinking about how mistrustful he had been of Rapunzel at first.

She giggled. "Yeah, I do."

**Little Promises  
**_As we grow older and our family expands, I hope we keep our little talks  
Little chats, sweet nothings, little walks.  
And then we'll include our kiddos, too.  
I promise to.  
_

_To keep you safe and secure,  
Help and protect you when you're unsure, I assure.  
Give our kiddos piggy-back rides.  
I'll give you something to hold onto when memories seem to come in rising tides  
I promise to.  
_

_To sit through the ballet or soccer practices,  
Which may be really quite neat, as it is.  
To read bedtime stories and always be home in time for a family dinner;  
Make sure our kids' eyes always shimmer.  
I promise to. _

_To kiss you and always be there for you;  
Chase the boys off when they come knocking for our girl, too.  
To stick with you through thick and thin as I've already promised;  
Making you feel special is my top goal and always will be, honest.  
I promise to.  
_

_To never let you feel sad,  
And stick with the kids when at me they're mad  
(And you, too)  
I promise to._

_I'll wipe tears and change diapers_  
_And hope to raise some writers_  
_My dear, it's my goal_  
_To give you everything that time and a harsh life stole_  
_I promise to._


	5. Chapter 5

"Huh-uh, don't you do it!" Eugene yelled, dropping the box back on the truck tailgate and rushing over to Rapunzel, who was balanced on a very unreliable stepladder as she reached for a box of books. "That thing doesn't support me, let alone...two," he trailed off and cleared his throat.  
"I know I'm fat, sir, but you need not rub it in!" she perched her hands on her hips, which seemed to grow ever wider. She was seven months along, it was mid-December, and she waddled rather than walked. "I'm perfectly capable of getting a box!"  
"But you're not _supposed _to," Eugene kissed her cheek as he reached for the box, pushing the stepladder aside. "And you're not fat, you're pregnant. There's a difference."  
"Humph," she grunted, but she held her hands out for the box as soon as it was down on her level.  
"I'll take it to the display. It's heavy," he said, holding it just out of her reach.  
"You're terrible, you know that? I'm trying to do my job!" she exclaimed, utterly frustrated. Eugene had gone into mother hen mode with her, making sure she rested plenty, didn't lift heavy things, and practically drove her _nuts_.  
"And I'm trying to keep my wife and unborn baby safe. Most ladies would be thankful, y'know," he winked, then power-walked out of the stock room before she could loose a wail of frustration. Levi snickered, but ducked behind a shelving unit when Rapunzel threw him a _look_. Instantly, she felt a twinge of remorse. Maybe she _should _be nicer to Eugene. He was being really sweet, she guessed.  
She left the stock room and found him setting the box right down where she needed it. She nibbled her lip and looked flat out uncomfortable. "Sorry," she finally mumbled. "It's just...my whole childhood and up 'til I met you, I was used to doing things for myself. And now you're Mister Mother Hen and it's good, and I thank you, but...it's-"  
"It's fine," he chuckled, giving her a one-armed hug. "I'm not upset. I'll see you in half an hour."  
"Okay," she nodded, watching him go before she started stocking the shelf.

Half an hour later, they left the bookstore to go home. "I've got dinner planned," Rapunzel told Eugene. "Just chicken and corn. I think Charles is supposed to come over-"  
"When are you just going to give in and call him your dad?" he asked, grinning.  
She paused, chewing it over in her mind. _Dad. Daddy. Charles. Hey, dad. I love you, dad. How was your day, dad? _Certainly in some scenarios, 'dad' fit better than Charles, but it was foreign to her. "I-it never really occurred to me to call him that. I'd feel weird," she said, nibbling her lip.  
"That's fine, I just think it's amusing," he said. "I bet it'd mean the world to him. But regardless, what were you saying?"  
"I was just saying that he was coming over to look at our, um, wedding photos," she grinned wryly. She bet Charles expected they'd had some big wedding.  
"Hmm. What'll he say if he knows we didn't honeymoon or anything? Just went back to work after a long weekend," Eugene said.  
"Since he never married himself, I don't think it'll matter. But it comes to a shocker for some people," she grinned as she remembered how shocked the young ladies at the bookstore had been to learn that they'd skipped the whole, overly-romantic honeymoon in order to save a little money, which had been put aside for expenses later on. Which was now being used to get baby supplies, which was nice.

"True," he nodded, glancing over at her and slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Are you ever upset that we didn't honeymoon or anything? You've never traveled. Actually, neither of us have, really."  
She shook her head but nestled up against his side, avoiding the frigid wind as much as possible. "No. I didn't need to go somewhere special to celebrate our marriage, and I'm glad we got to relax at home."  
Eugene grinned, plopping a kiss in her windblown hair as they walked.

Rapunzel kicked her shoes off as soon as she stepped inside their cozy Victorian home, shedding her coat and rubbing her hands and feet alternately after she sat down at the kitchen table. "Cold, cold...cold!"  
"Good northern weather," Eugene said, "always frigid. I'm glad I don't get cold easily." Rapunzel almost pointed out that his nose was cherry red and goosebumps covered his arms, which he'd accidentally displayed by rolling the sleeves of his soft black shirt up. Instead, she covered her lips to hide a quiet chuckle.

"What're we planning for Christmas?" she asked instead. "It's coming up in a couple of weeks."  
"I thought we'd invite Charles over for dinner. The good thing about a small family is you don't have to do much cooking, right?" Eugene asked, grinning.  
"Agreed," Rapunzel smiled, her gaze dropping to her blossoming belly. "I can't wait for next Christmas, though. She'll be almost a year old, though. But won't it be fun?"  
Eugene watched her gentle smile and let his own grin broaden as he imagined their child's first Christmas. "It will be," he nodded. "We'll get to spoil her exclusively, though, since her only relative that we know of is Charles."  
"That alleviates a little stress, though," Rapunzel stood up with a little effort and wandered to the freezer, pulling a bag of chicken breasts out to thaw in the microwave. As she waited for that, she hunted for her favorite glass tray and preheated the oven. "We won't have to run all over the place, visiting people on holidays, and she won't even get any duplicate toys or clothes. We'll invite him over, of course. Every year. Oh Eugene, I'm _so _happy. Our little family!"  
He laughed, snagging her arm as she passed by, stopping her long enough to share a quick kiss.

After supper, Rapunzel started stacking dishes up.  
"You spend time with your Dad. I'll do these," he swiftly scooped the small pile out of her hands and headed for the sink.  
"Alright," Rapunzel grinned. "Thank you." She gestured towards her father and he followed her to the living room, sitting down on the couch beside her.  
"So...I want to see wedding pictures," he grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to walk you down the aisle-"  
Rapunzel shook her head. "It's fine. I'm thankful that you're here now." In the couple of months that they'd known Charles, they'd grown very close. It took about a month for Rapunzel to finally trust him completely. When she had, though, she'd reacted just as she had with Eugene. She opened up and loved him with all her heart. She didn't hold him accountable for her past.

He smiled at Rapunzel. "I bet it was a big to-do, hm?"  
"Well," she grinned as she held their first photo album. It only held a few photographs from their wedding, and most of the rest were silly pictures taken by either Rapunzel or Eugene...such as Eugene, fallen asleep on the desk chair in the living room with a pen still poised in his hand, or Rapunzel holding up an amusing sign that had announced her pregnancy. They'd shared a copy of this one solely with Mr. Barnes, and within the hour, the copy had been worn to tatters and had been passed around to everyone at least thrice. "Maybe it was for us. Everyone we know came..." she said with bated breath. Then she flipped open the scrapbook album and smoothed her hand over the album sleeve, showing a photo someone had taken of their ceremony.  
"Justice of the Peace?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.  
"Yes," she laughed. "I wasn't lying, though. Everyone we know _did _come. Everyone from Mr. Barnes' bookstore. It was really sweet," she said, blushing slightly as she saw her father's gaze drop to the picture in which she was wrapped in her new husband's arms, kissing him fervently in front of everyone as the ceremony wrapped up.  
Charles' voice dropped. "Is he a good husband? He seems like it, but, you know, people can be good actors, too."  
She shook her head. "I'm so blessed. He's so kind, and gentle and sweet. Sure we have arguments, but we always make up. I'm so blessed to have him in my life, Dad."

She didn't realize she'd said it until after the fact, and it seemed to fall in place and feel quite comfortable to her. His face crinkled into a smile, and he patted her hand. "I'm glad. You deserve it."  
Rapunzel glanced out towards Eugene, who was busy scrubbing dishes and humming quietly, it sounded like. "So...that was our wedding. It was all we needed, really. We didn't know many people and we didn't want something big and extravagant even if we _did _know a lot of people."  
Charles flipped to the next page, finding a couple more wedding photos and then a photo of Rapunzel painting - which she hadn't even known about until she'd ordered the photos online.  
"No honeymoon pictures?" he asked, flipping back and forth to make sure he hadn't missed a page. "I was waiting for all those typical honeymoon photos of you two with the scenery or the Eiffel tower, something like that."  
Rapunzel grinned. "No. We saved the money we would've spent on a honeymoon, and right now, it's really coming in handy with the little one on the way," she explained, rubbing her stomach and letting her smile widen when the baby kicked against her hand.

Charles nodded. "Hm. Sensible," he nodded once more.  
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Eugene plopped down on the desk chair, which they'd used for seating due to their lack of a third chair. Grinning to himself, he tested the wheels on the swivel chair, then launched himself from the table, trying to push from the table to the desk in the living room in one shot. Rapunzel jumped in surprise as the chair - plus Eugene - shot backwards past her.  
He'd overestimated how much force he'd needed to launch off.  
The chair crashed into the desk, making the mug full of pencils and pens topple over. The contents scattered on the floor with a loud clatter. Eugene fell off of the chair in a tangled heap due to the abrupt stop, and Rapunzel stared at him in shock for a moment before she and Charles dissolved into laughter.  
"A-are you okay?" she giggled, only somewhat trying to mask her amusement.  
"Yeah, yeah, at least try to act concerned," Eugene teased, giving her a mock-disgusted expression as he crouched and picked up the pencils and pens. "I meant to do that."  
"Sure you did, sweetie," Rapunzel laughed, reaching to ruffle his hair. "If only the people who adore your mystery novel knew how you act, you goof!"  
"Hey," he grinned good-naturedly and shook his head, setting the writing utensils in the mug and sitting down on the desk chair carefully.

Charles slowly went through the rest of the album and then closed it, fixing her with a curious gaze.  
"As much as you went through, all the bad influences in your life...how can you be the bright, kind girl you are? That defies any theories about child learning based on their guardians' behaviors."  
Rapunzel shrugged, blushing. It was just how she was.  
"I don't think it's even in her genetic coding _to _be mean. She's kindhearted. I think it's because she's experienced the bad, and she knows that life could be much different." He glanced towards her and raised an eyebrow. "Is that right? I'm just guessing."  
She shrugged again. "I guess. I don't even know," she laughed. "I just don't want anyone to feel like I did."  
"That's good," Charles nodded. "More people need to be like that."

When Charles left that night, Rapunzel gave him a big, yet awkward, hug and a kiss on the cheek. He left their house beaming from ear to ear.  
Eugene slipped his arms around Rapunzel and hugged her shoulders from behind, leaning his chin on top of her head. "I'm glad to see you had a good time with your Dad today," he mentioned.  
She smiled. "He's a dear. Thank you for cleaning the kitchen up. _You're _a dear, too," she added.  
"Am I? Hmm," he grinned and kissed the top of her head. "Speaking of parent stuff, I'm thinking about looking into the accident and who my parents were. Try to know them in a way, I guess. What do you think?"  
She turned around and gave him a serious gaze. "If you're up to it, go for it. Just don't get hurt by learning about the people you never knew."  
"I know," he nodded. "I just...kinda want to know who my parents were. We have a bit of an idea about yours, so now I'm jealous," he joked, kissing her cheek.  
Rapunzel hummed in agreement. "Well, I think it's an interesting project and good timing, too. How is your mystery coming along?"  
"Slowly, but surely," he said. "I figured that this project could be a nice little break away from it."  
Rapunzel nodded. "Good idea, if you've got writer's block again."  
He nodded, but then yawned. "And I need to come to a decision before the end of the year about those two publishing companies that want my book, come to think of it. But that can wait for discussion on another day."

**Sunshine on Cloudy Days  
**_You're my sunshine on cloudy days  
I don't know how you do it,  
But you are in so many ways.  
Maybe it's your wit,  
Maybe it's the rays  
Of sunshine that across your face knit  
When you smile._

_They say to never say never, so  
I'm not gonna say "I'm never leaving you"  
But instead I'll say we'll forever grow  
Closer, and pray I'm right, because through  
Thick and thin, you're my sunshine on cloudy days._

_I hope I can be your sunshine on cloudy days,  
The one you turn to, the one you love even when I'm dumb  
(and you know I can be in so many ways)  
The shoulder to cry on if you think you're a terrible mum  
(which, you won't be.)  
_

_You're my sunshine on cloudy days. _


	6. Chapter 6

Christmas was wonderful. Mr. Barnes gave them a week off, as he did for all of his employees for holidays - especially since most of them would be seated around the same table for dinner! The week was spent doing last minute shopping and trying to fend off the frigid temperatures, which seemed to drop ever lower. Rapunzel's father stayed overnight with Rapunzel and Eugene, going to the Christmas Eve candlelight service with them at their church and then sleeping on the couch for Christmas morning. Christmas Day was spent alternating between relaxation and cooking. Eugene banned Rapunzel from the kitchen after her feet began to ache, so the men took over the cooking. The mashed potatoes were pretty dry and the pie crust...well...nobody broke any teeth. Rapunzel did not get her cooking talent from her father, but nobody said a word about it.

One Saturday afternoon in January, Rapunzel went through some photographs she'd recently ordered and noticed how thin her father had gotten in the few months they'd known each other. She called him immediately.  
"Hey. Little-busy...right now, wait a sec, please?" his voice came up on the phone, punctuated by grunts and metallic clanking. A machine groaned with its burden; the engine coughed and died.  
"Okay," Rapunzel nodded even though he couldn't see. She tried to envision what was happening in the auto repair shop right now. Likely, he was in his dirty gray jumpsuit and up to his armpits in black grease. His glasses would either be off or smudged with black fingerprints.  
Six minutes later, he picked the phone back up a little breathlessly. "Sorry, dear. Stupid car I'm working on for a client won't cooperate. Well, what's up?"

She laughed quietly. "Sorry. Is it a bad time?"  
"Never a bad time for you," Charles pulled the phone away from his face and coughed, wiping some of the grease off of his face and only succeeding in getting it in his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he stumbled to the bathroom and flushed it out, phone still pressed to his ear as he listened.  
"I was going through some pictures, and...this might sound a little silly, but I'm worried. You look like you've lost a lot of weight since we met in October. Are you okay?" She paused and listened to the sound of water rushing in the background. "I hope I'm not being too nosy."  
"Not too nosy," he said, patting his face dry with a rough paper towel. "I've just been, well, working all my weight off, I suppose. We have a shortage of workers right now. Overtime's nice though," he chuckled.  
"Well, why don't you try to come up for dinner each night? I mean, I guess we're an hour away from you, but you were skin and bones to begin with! Maybe I could make up a bunch of meals and freeze them so you can just come home and heat a meal right up."  
"Oh, deary, that's fine. You've got a lot on your plate to begin with, since the baby's gonna be coming soon. I'm feeding myself."  
"It'd be fine, though! Just one extra serving per day made up. Easy peasy," she said. Eugene clomped into the house, loudly proclaiming that he wasn't leaving the house until spring, and she waved her hand to let him know she was on the phone.  
Charles sighed, chuckling under his breath. It seemed like the lone attribute she'd kept from her mother was a slight stubbornness, but she used it for good. "Alright. If it'd make you feel better-"  
"Definitely. I'll see you tonight! If you can't come by six, just drop in whenever you can. _Can _you come?"  
He laughed. "Okay. I'll see you then, dear. Thank you."  
"You're welcome. Love you, Dad."  
"I love you too," he said, hanging up his old flip phone and stuffing it in his pocket.

Eugene paused in front of Rapunzel, asking her a silent question. _What's up? _  
She grunted in an unladylike manner and heaved herself onto her feet- which was becoming a chore, what with her ungainly belly - and then he gave her a quick kiss.  
"Dad," she said. "I'm inviting him to eat dinners here. He's been getting skinnier and skinnier since we met him, so I wanted to make sure he was eating okay. He said he's been working himself into the ground, pretty much."  
"I see," he nodded. "So he's coming this evening?"  
"Supposed to," Rapunzel nodded. "How did your trip to the printer's work out?"  
"Cold," Eugene slipped one of his still-numb hands underneath the hem Rapunzel's loose sweater, settling it on the part of her hip that wasn't covered by the hem of her sweatpants.  
"Eugene!" she gasped, shoving him hard enough to make him backpedal a step. "I know it's cold out! You didn't have to prove your point!"  
He tried to control his laughter for a moment. "Just wanted to prove a point. You're warm, by the way."  
She glowered. "_Was_ warm." She tried to walk past before he could see the grin she struggled to hide, but he snagged her and pulled her into an, ironically, _warm _hug.  
"You know you love me," he teased, and she rolled her eyes.  
"That's debatable," she threw back. "Are the books in the car?"  
"All three hundred of them," he sighed. "Ship out Monday."  
"Did you ever contact any of those publishing houses?" Rapunzel asked. She rolled her wide green eyes up to watch his brown ones, unwrapping an arm from his torso so she could neaten his hair, which had been mussed by the wind. His hair was wet with snowflakes that had nestled in between the short brown, tangled strands.

"Yes, I emailed both. I explained that I have to stay here, and I'm waiting for answers from them."  
"You could go," Rapunzel said. "You could just take business trips."  
"No," he shook his head. "Call me ornery or hardheaded, but I don't want to. I'm staying here with you and the baby. I'm not going to be one of those dads that get too caught up in their work to notice their kids growing up or their wife feeling unwanted because they're married to their work instead of them."  
Rapunzel nodded. "But I don't want us holding you back, either."  
"You're not. It's a personal choice, not you forcing me," he told her. Then he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Besides, you're much more attractive than some of the people that work in the publishing house my first book went through..." accompanied by a mock shudder, and she laughed, swatting his arm playfully before kissing his jaw.  
"Alright." She tsked her tongue and slipped away, headed for the kitchen. Turning around, she decided to tease him a little. "But only _some_? Was that a compliment or a hidden insult?"  
He chuckled. "I think you know."

Eugene accompanied her in the kitchen, helping her get dinner prepared. He watched her work as quickly as she could, and shook his head. She was due in mid-to-late February - just about a month out. But she hadn't slowed down on any of her workload, except for the things he forced her to give up more often. He had a sneaking suspicion she just waited until he was out on a long day with Levi to do stuff, anyway. "So when are you going on maternity leave? Mr. Barnes has been on both of our cases about it. I think you probably should pretty soon,"  
She blinked her eyes rapidly as she chopped a particularly strong onion. "I'm feeling fine - I mean, as good as I _can _feel right now - and the doctor hasn't said anything. The baby's healthy. I want to go as long as I can."  
"Most people would be happy to have time off," he pointed out. "Are you planning on going back to work right after you have the baby?"  
She grinned. "How soon do you think I can?"  
"I think you need to stay home and get to know our baby," he said, although he was pretty sure she was teasing.  
"I will," she set her knife down and placed her hand over her stomach as she felt the baby somersault. The baby was moving around constantly now, and it was fascinating...until it was time to sleep. "We'll figure it out when she gets here." Thinking about family in general, she cocked her head and eyed Eugene as he took her cutting board, neatly dumping the onion chunks into a frying pan with a reasonable amount of butter. "And how has your family search been going? You haven't said much about it the past few days."  
He'd started his search promptly after Christmas, and had gotten a free trial to one of those ancestry websites. He'd found his parents' names and their graves, which were three hours away in a small cemetery. He had one living aunt left. He'd found out quite a bit of interesting information about his ancestors, such as twins running in the family; one ancestor betraying the Loyalists in the Revolutionary War and joining the Patriots, which apparently caused some comedic confusion; and his great-great-great-grandparents having seventeen children, all of which had survived and lived the average lifespan of that time. Rapunzel silently prayed that Eugene didn't want a family _that _large.

"I found a document with information from the police report from the crash," he said. "I was planning on reading that sometime tonight or tomorrow after church. And when the weather gets nicer, I want to visit their graves."  
Rapunzel nodded. "That's good. So have you found any more interesting stories?"  
He grinned, lighting into a tale about how his great-great-grandmother had worked as a nurse during the second World War so she could be near her husband, and how she'd ended up having their first child while she was in the middle of helping a soldier whose leg had been mangled. "Don't do that, Rapunzel," he finished jokingly.  
"Yeah, I don't think so," Rapunzel laughed. "Was the baby okay? What happened after?"  
"Obviously, someone took over for her so she could have the baby, and yes, it ended up becoming my great-grandmother. She was sent home as soon as possible."

**Tough Little Bird  
**_You're a tough little thing, I'll give you that  
Someone piles extra work on you and an eye you don't bat  
How you do it, I'll never get even if you put it into words,  
But you're a tough little bird._

_You cook, you clean, you work, you're very diligent  
And maybe a little too willing.  
I'd like to know how you keep on going,  
You're a tough little bird._

_If anyone gave you a cup of coffee, I hope they're ready_  
_Because you'd probably bounce around like a...I don't know, I give up already!_  
_They'd grow tired by just watching you,_  
_Because you're a tough little bird._

_If you ever have any secrets to your endless energy,  
Please tell me so I can remedy  
My normal energy.  
You're a tough little thing, you're a tough little bird. _


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Rapunzel padded down the spiral staircase, stumbling down the last step and catching her balance before wandering to the desk in the living room, where Eugene was seated. He'd woken her with a loud yelping sound, but he was quick to flip the laptop's screen towards the keys, hiding whatever he'd been viewing. "You woke me up. What's going on?"  
He blinked at her a few times, then rubbed his face. "Sorry. Ah, sorry. Wow. Just reading the police report for my parents' crash. Sorry. I fell asleep on the chair. Almost fell out of it. If I made a noise, that's why."  
"You're talking in fragments," Rapunzel pointed out. "You're not telling me everything." She peered at him critically.  
He swallowed so hard Rapunzel could almost hear him gulp. "I'll tell you later, okay? Get some sleep."  
"Huh-uh. I was sleeping, but then you woke me up. I'm here now, and you're not going to get rid of me anytime soon. Not unless you tell me."  
He sighed. He really didn't want to tell her this, especially since she was so close to having the baby - he didn't want to upset her so badly that she started going into labor, and if anything, this would do it - but he also knew she wouldn't budge on the matter. He didn't even know if it was _possible _to upset someone so much that they went into labor, but he wasn't gonna chance it. "I don't want to tell you, Rapunzel, and there's a good reason why. I'll tell you sometime, just not now, okay? Please?"

"No," Rapunzel shook her head, and then she leaned around him to push the laptop screen back up, viewing the text in front of her eyes. She blinked her bleary eyes to clear them. Eugene wanted to snatch the laptop from her, but knew that would be pretty rude. And then she gasped, clasping her hand over her heart. She backed up, and Eugene shot up out of his chair to grab her before she tripped over the edge of the coffee table. "_No_." She stared at him, wide-eyed, and repeated the word once more.

He sighed. "I didn't want you to see because of it," he pulled her to the couch and made her sit. She stared at him in horror for way too long.  
"She-_I hate her_!" Rapunzel yelled as soon as her wits were gathered. "She's a witch! She's-she's-I can't believe this! How-"  
"Calm down," Eugene warned her, and kept her seated when she tried to jump - _jump _being a loose term - up to pace the room. "Calm. Down."  
"No!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't they do something?!" her voice soared to heights neither knew it could reach. Veronica Conily, her adoptive mother and murderess, had begun her career as a killer when she'd stolen a car and used it to slam into Elaine and Joshua Fitzhebert's car, which had held their new baby, Eugene. It had been a random murder and masked as an accident, in which it had at first been pegged on the owner of the car, who hadn't even had time to report the car as missing yet. She'd remained dormant - supposedly - in her murderess career until Rapunzel was fifteen. The case had gone cold after the owners' alibis checked out, until someone had dusted for prints in the car six years later to solve the stolen-car case. By then, however, Veronica had cut all ties with the orphanage. Veronica's low profile had prevented the local police force from finding her, and no other forces had been brought in for improved search efforts or better search programs and tech, since it was considered an accident.  
"It was supposed to be an accident." he murmured. "But I can guarantee you that she's serving for this as well, as soon as someone went through the cold cases."

Her eyes filled with hot, angry tears. "My adoptive mother _murdered _your parents! How can you be so calm? How can you sit beside the person who was raised by her and-and be so calm about it?" she cried. She clenched her hands into fists until her nails bit into her soft palms. "I can't-"  
"Hey. Calm down. It's not good for the baby that you're getting so upset, Rapunzel, and don't tell me you aren't because your neck is red." He gave her a pensive stare until she took a deep breath and huffed it back out, expecting his answer. "I'm not furious. I'm not mad - at _you _or at _her_. I know that she's in jail now. We both helped in that. Maybe it _was_ an accident, but I doubt it. I'm not going to obsess over it. I know what happened, and I know who did it. There's no use getting upset over people you never knew, after all," Eugene brought up what she'd said awhile back.  
"But-your parents," she managed.  
"And it's all in the past. Sorry I woke you. It was just such a shock...I don't want you to get any more upset or mad, okay?"  
"How can you be so calm about it?" she repeated. "I would be...I-I'd be going to the prison to bash her head off a wall by now!"  
Eugene shook his head. "No use in getting mad. It's a shocker, yeah, but I'm not going to let my anger at her fester inside until I become bitter and cruel like her."

Rapunzel knew he was right, and immediately felt a little bit of regret for her reaction. Maybe she needed to take a page out of her husband's book - metaphorically - and do the same, instead of getting angry and letting it consume her when she'd finally let go of eighteen years' worth of abuse two years ago. She grew very small as she thought of this.  
"You're right. I'm sorry,"  
He shook his head. "It's okay. Now, head up to bed before you get fired up again, hm?" he gave a wry smile to let her know he was joking and turned back to the laptop. "I'll get this shut down and be upstairs soon."  
"Okay," Rapunzel sighed, standing up.

When they got up that morning for work, Rapunzel felt almost weird being around Eugene. Her adoptive mother was the reason why he'd been in twenty-two foster homes and called a bad luck charm. She felt somehow responsible for it. So she made breakfast early and ate before he was downstairs. She busied herself dusting - a completely useless activity - while he was eating.  
"Alright, what's going on? Are you feeling okay?" Eugene asked when he noticed Rapunzel lagging behind him as they walked to work, as opposed to nestled under the warmth of his arm.  
"I'm fine," Rapunzel said quietly. "No biggie."  
He backed up and pulled her to his side. "You're not upset about last night, are you?"  
She stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "I just feel so awful that..."  
"Rapunzel, it's okay. It's not your fault. Actually, it's kind of reassuring to know that we both put her away. I don't want you stewing and, geez, _avoiding _me, because of it. Okay?"  
She grimaced. "That obvious? I'm sorry. I just...feel _weird _about it."  
"Why should you blame yourself? You're not responsible for your adoptive mother's actions, let alone what she did two years before you were born!"  
She bit her lip and nodded. "I know. I...can't even explain it."  
"I figured you would be, though. You have a crummy habit of blaming yourself for stuff. I'm assuming it's still from your upbringing. If anything, I'd like to ask Veronica why she wanted to kill my parents, or if it was an accident."  
Rapunzel thought for a moment. "She only killed people who had done something to her before, or the Stabbington Brothers."  
"Mmhmm," Eugene nodded. "Obviously, at least my mother wasn't into drugs or anything before I was born because I wasn't taken away, but...it could be any number of things."


	8. Chapter 8

The issue about Eugene's parents was dropped abruptly, but Rapunzel didn't quit thinking about it. At least, not until she was given a good distraction.

Rapunzel meandered to Mr. Barnes' office. "Um..sir?" she asked, clasping her hands tightly in front of her bulging belly to conceal their trembling.  
"Yes, dear?" he asked, glancing up from his paperwork and gesturing to an empty seat. "Sit. Take a break. Is Mr. Fitzherbert still out with Levi?"  
"Yes," she nodded, lowering herself onto the chair. She wasn't sure how to bring it up, and she felt funny talking to _Mr. _Barnes. "Is Mrs. Barnes here?"  
He shook his head, giving her a curious gaze. "No she isn't. She's babysitting so our oldest daughter can go to her doctor's appointment in peace. She's been having headaches a lot. What can I do for you?"  
Rapunzel bit her lip. "Um..oh... I think I'm going into labor and I need to get to the hospital. Can I leave now?"  
His thick gray eyebrows shot up. Only Rapunzel would _ask _if she could leave work in order to give birth. "Goodness gracious, _yes_! You didn't need to tippy-toe around the matter. I'll get Gunther to drive you. Or maybe Morgan, if you'd prefer a lady?"  
"I could probably make it home to the car-"  
Mr. Barnes was already hustling out of the room as fast as his plump, elderly frame could shuffle. "You stay right there and hang on."

Rapunzel was piled into Morgan's clunky car, praying for safety as the bubbly woman tried to start the car, which coughed and groaned a few times until the engine finally caught.  
"I can't believe this, Rapunzel! Oh my goodness, you're having a baby and you _worked _today! How on _earth, _you must have the constitution of an ox! When Joanne had her baby, she was in the hospital almost two days before she had him. This is so exciting! Does Eugene know yet?" Morgan, a stout girl older than Rapunzel with thick blond hair and bright blue eyes, babbled at about sixteen words a second.  
Rapunzel bit her lip, shaking her head. Maybe if she would have paid closer attention to herself, she would've caught the symptoms before she felt the first twinge of a contraction an hour before this. "No he doesn't. I don't want to alarm him if he's driving."  
Morgan giggled. "He might beat us to the hospital if you told him! But really, you _should _tell him. Or someone. You know, you could tell Levi so Eugene's not, you know, talking on the phone and driving. That's illegal, I heard. You can use my cell phone if you want to call Levi. His number's in there. Of course, I suppose you have his number, too, right?"

"I don't, actually," Rapunzel shook her head, immediately regretting that. Morgan fished in her purse until she grabbed her phone, which was clad in a bright yellow plastic case, and she handed it to Rapunzel. She swerved haphazardly over the road as she did so, and Rapunzel squeezed her eyes shut until the car straightened. She thanked Morgan both for driving her to the hospital and for her cell phone, and found Levi's number.  
"Y'ello?" Levi asked. "What'd you break now, Morgan?"  
"It's me, Levi," Rapunzel said.  
"Oh, hey. Funny thing, your number-"  
"I'm using Morgan's phone. Um, where are you two?"  
Levi repeated the question to Eugene, and Rapunzel faintly heard his answer before Levi overlapped, repeating it. "About two hours out. What's happening?"  
Rapunzel got a sudden burst of the giggles. This kind of thing would only happen to her - she worked up until the moment she realized she was in labor, was now in a potentially dangerous car with a bubbly girl who seemed more interested in the scenery than the road itself, and her husband was at least two hours away picking up books. "You'd never even believe it, buddy, but I'm in labor and Morgan's taking me to the hospital. Do not - and I repeat _do not_, Levi, or I'll crawl through this phone and wring your neck - tell Eugene until you're back at the bookshop. I don't want him freaking out 'til he's out of the car. Or tell him...oh, wow, I don't know! Something. Maybe tell him you have to pick Joanne up from the hospital and just tell him there. I don't know, just don't tell him now, okay?"

Levi had to bite back a series of snarky comments ranging from _I'd like to see you try to crawl through a phone in your condition _to _And you're putting the fate of my existence in the hands of a new father who's been kept outta the loop? _before he answered in a manner that Eugene wouldn't catch drift of what was going on. "I will_. _Or...I won't. Whatever. I'll take care of it."

* * *

"_What_?!" Eugene roared. His eyes seemed to bulge out of the sockets like in those old cartoons.  
"Well, don't freak out on _me _about it, you need to get in there!" Levi exclaimed. They'd taken a detour to the hospital - Levi had used the Joanne excuse - and now he was wondering if the taller man would wring his skinny neck before getting out of the cab of the rusty truck.  
"I-I can't believe this. Okay. Okay, she was right in not telling me yet. Okay. Ah, thanks Levi. Sorry I freaked. Oh, wow. Okay, I've-I've gotta get in there!" he exclaimed, practically falling out of the truck as his uncoordinated thoughts tangled up his equally as uncoordinated long legs. He bolted inside, his sneakers squeaking dreadfully on the floor. As he did so, he called Charles.  
"Dad! Dad, oh my gosh, Rapunzel's in labor and I just got to the hospital, it's a mess, she's been for at least two or three hours I guess but I didn't get here 'til now and-no use explaining now, she's in labor-" He'd gotten in the habit of mentally calling Charles his father, since he _was _his father-in-law, but never to his face. It slipped out in his panic.  
"Well, calm down!" Charles' voice came in over the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can. You be there for her and don't pass out, you hear me? You're going to if you don't calm down!"  
Eugene gulped. "Okay. Okay, I'll see you then." Practically by accident, he hung up before saying goodbye or waiting for a response.

The nurses gave Eugene a judgmental _look _when he made it to Rapunzel's room - he read it as _Your wife's in labor and you don't show up until three hours later? Some guy! - _and he was expecting her to be a mess. Instead, he was shocked by the fact that she was calmer than he was. Her hands clenched the skirt of her hospital gown, but her face held an expression of calm determination. Her eyes, though, showed her extreme discomfort and even a little bit of fear.  
"Baby girl," he breathed, rushing to kiss her forehead and sweep a few strands of hair away from her face. "I'm so sorry. It took a little longer for us to get here. Are you okay? How long has it been?"  
She shook her head and swallowed, grinning up at him. "I'm fine! It's only been three hours. We'll probably be here for awhile yet. I'm glad you're here, though. I was a little worried about why it took an hour longer than normal."  
"Traffic," Eugene said. "I could've made it in an hour and a half if-"  
"Exactly," Rapunzel said quietly. She wormed one of her hands underneath herself and pressed a few fingers into a particularly achy spot on her back.  
Eugene chuckled quietly, realizing once more she'd told Levi and not him on purpose. "Well, I told your dad nonetheless. He said he'd be here as soon as he could."  
"Oh," Rapunzel bit her lip. She felt awkward and a little sorry for disrupting so many peoples' work schedules.  
"I know that look, sweets. C'mon, you're having our first baby! I think your dad would be upset if he didn't get to be here."

* * *

Seven hours later, Rapunzel was anxiously watching the swarm of scrubs-clad people surround the squalling baby. She knew about everything that they were doing, but she still watched with a guarded eye, still unconvinced that their baby was healthy and finally _here_. Then they swarmed _her _and all she wanted were four things: Her dad, her baby, her husband, and some quiet time surrounded by her little family. Finally, though, that all came.  
"Missy Elaine Fitzherbert, born at eleven-twenty-two PM on February sixteenth. Seventeen inches and five pounds, twelve ounces." Eugene mumbled what the doctor had proclaimed as the last nurse left. He was still wondering how those nurses and doctors could be so...so...energetic at this time of the night. Maybe he was just extra exhausted because watching his wife give birth had been the most excruciating thing on earth. But now she held the pink-skinned, teensy child carefully in her arms, staring at her with delirious happiness. A thick shock of chocolate hair was concealed beneath a soft white cap, and she was wrapped up in a striped blanket that made Rapunzel feel a little nauseous. Her neat, tiny nose poked out from the blanket, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

"She's perfect," Rapunzel sighed happily. She didn't remove her gaze from the baby until her father meandered into the room shyly. He'd just been told he could go see her. "Daddy, meet your granddaughter."  
His face split into a wide smile, which only grew wider when he took the small, sleeping bundle into his arms. He was silent for a few minutes, but then broke down crying. "I'm so thankful I get to meet her," he managed shakily, tears dribbling down his cheeks.  
Rapunzel grinned tiredly. "I'm really happy you're here." She paused and glanced towards Eugene. "And all you've said is what the doctor already did...?"  
He glanced over at her and grinned sheepishly. "I'm just trying to process everything."

It all clicked neatly into place later - or extremely early in the morning - when Rapunzel was sleeping, and he was sitting in the chair beside her hospital bed with the newborn baby cradled in his arms. He glanced over towards his wife's sleeping, peaceful face - even in her sleep, she held a pleased little smile. Then, he looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. _His _baby. _Theirs. _Tears streaked silently down his cheeks and he wondered at how he could so deeply love such a tiny little thing that he barely even knew yet. How he had ended up in this hospital room, watching over the love of his life and the beginning of their family, a chapter with just a few sentences written in it but many more to come.


	9. Chapter 9

The days sprouted wings and flew away, and before anyone knew it, three weeks had passed and Missy Elaine was almost one month old. After one week in the hospital, waiting for the baby to reach the six-pound mark, Rapunzel and Eugene were finally allowed to take their little darling home. Rapunzel's father offered to come cook a meal for them on the day they brought Missy home, but Rapunzel kindly turned him down. When Eugene requested she hang out on the couch with the baby, she did so. Until the baby was fast asleep and he was, too. Then she made dinner, and managed to do so before the baby woke for her next meal. Poor Pascal, who had been severely lacking attention the past week - Eugene only dropped by to pick this or that up and make sure the critter was still alive - was quite bent out of shape with the new addition that took up so much of their attention.

Eugene stayed at home with them for another two weeks. Mr. Barnes had been more than happy to give him the time off to be home, so long as they set up a day to let the employees of the bookstore see the baby. They did so, and their usually spacious Victorian home was crammed full with the entire Barnes family.

At the beginning of the second week in March, Eugene got up bright and early once more. Levi had called him the night before, letting him know that his first day back would be a long one. Missy was awake by the time he'd dressed, so he scooped her up and took her down to the kitchen.  
"Hey, pumpkin," he grinned softly down at her little face. Her eyes squeezed shut and her small mouth gaped in a yawn before she started to whimper. "I'll get some formula made up for you. Just wait one sec. Daddy's not as good at this stuff as Mommy is. I know." He was afraid to hold her with one arm, but managed it while he got the bottle made (and making a mental note to clean up the spill he'd made trying to dump formula in the bottle with his left, non-dominant hand). As soon as it was mixed up, he sat down to feed and burp her, then laid her down in the bassinet they'd brought into the living room. He buzzed around the kitchen, determined to make Rapunzel breakfast in bed before leaving for work, periodically pausing to check on the baby, who quickly fell back to sleep after her belly had been filled.

Before he could get the meal dished out, Rapunzel tottered downstairs, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was tangled and she wore a loose nightgown, which threatened to trip her as she wandered down the last two steps.  
"Aw, I was going to bring this up for you," Eugene greeted her with a fake-pout, and she laughed sleepily.  
"Sorry. I woke up and you and the baby were gone," she blinked at the light in the kitchen and Eugene bent to give her a quick kiss.  
"I gave her her five o'clock feeding, so she'll be good for another couple of hours," he said. "And if you need _anything _today, I'm a phone call away. Don't you call Levi, either, or we'll have to have a discussion!" he teased. She yawned, and he wasn't sure if she was just sleepy or if his joke had been that bad.

They ate a quick breakfast, and then Eugene glanced towards the white clock on the wall, announcing he needed to head off.  
She stood up and pulled him into a hug. He gave her a tight squeeze and then she kissed his jaw. "I'll see you this evening," she said.  
"Mhm. Have a nice day lounging with our little miss," he gave her a crooked grin.  
"I will," her smile brightened the drizzly morning. "You have a nice day hanging out with Levi."  
Eugene chuckled. "We'll see. Okay. I need to head out."  
She gave him another quick hug and watched him as he strode quietly to the bassinet, plopping a gentle kiss on the infant's smooth forehead before he left. She waved her fingers at him when he turned to shut the door behind him, and he cleared his throat. "Ah, there's a book for you on the couch. At least, I think I put it there. If you want to do any editing, feel free. If not, I'll proofread later."

Yawning, Rapunzel checked up on Missy one more time before padding upstairs to get dressed in her cozy gray sweatpants and dark purple shirt. They were a bit sloppier than she liked clothes to be, but hey. She returned to the living room and pulled the bassinet over to the couch, crashing on the comfy cushions and letting Pascal curl up on her lap. In her hands she held the book Eugene must have been talking about. But it was bound - and hardback, too - with a plain red cover. Why was she editing an already printed book? Opening it up, a small sheet fluttered onto her chest, so she read it first, using her belly as a shelf for the book.  
_Yeah, I know you're probably wondering why I asked you to edit a printed book. This, sweets, is a very rare and limited edition book - only one in the entire existence of the world, and you're holding it. I kinda lied. It's just for you and you don't have to edit it - I did all that already. Thought you'd want something to read while you're on maternity leave, and, well,...I feel better about being a mushy fool when I've a pen in my hand. Love you! _

Rapunzel laughed quietly. Only her Eugene...

For the entire day, instead of starting those exercises she'd planned on, she read, breaking only to care for Missy or eat. She let Missy sleep with her head nestled against Rapunzel's neck, which she seemed to like, and when she was awake, she read some of the poems to her.

When Eugene came home that evening, Rapunzel didn't notice until he leaned over the end of the couch to give her an upside-down kiss, dragging her attention away from the last page of the book.  
"Oh!" she pulled away and let a little gasp of surprise slip from her lips, staring at him with a mix of horror and surprise. "Oh, oh, oh! I forgot to make dinner!" She managed to convey her panic quietly enough that Missy didn't wake and start crying.  
He laughed, his eyes dancing. "I brought it home from the diner. Can I steal the baby a moment? I know she's sleeping, though."  
Rapunzel nodded, letting him ease the child away from her. When he had, she stood up and stretched. "I'm so sorry. I completely-well, I guess I didn't lose track of time because I fed her every two hours, but...yikes. I got sucked in."  
"You didn't read that entire thing today, did you?" he asked, glancing up from the sleeping child's face to give her a look of surprise.

She grinned, her cheeks tinted with pink. "Yeah. I was hungry for fresh reading." She watched her husband, whose hands practically engulfed the baby, hold the little thing. Missy was nestled quietly in his arms, barely even stirring when she was picked up. Her mouth twitched as if she was nursing on an invisible bottle. Rapunzel's heart melted for both of them. What a lovely little picture.  
"And your dad should be coming any minute now. I made sure he was coming," Eugene added, glancing up at her once more before settling the baby in her bassinet again, tucking the soft pink blanket around her and then turning to pull Rapunzel into a hug. "I missed you girls today!"  
She laughed. "You got spoiled with your time off?"  
"Uh-huh," he nodded, grinning. "Only now I miss you _and _the baby."  
She grinned. "You're such a dear. And thank-" She paused when the door creaked open, announcing the entrance of her father. Her thank-you for the book could wait for later.

While her father ate dinner with them, seated on the third chair they'd finally acquired, Rapunzel noticed her father's hands were a little shakier than normal and he just didn't look _good_.  
"Are you okay, dad?" she asked, watching his face.  
He glanced down and cleared his throat. "Ah, no, dear. I'm fine. Maybe just a little tired," he smiled at her and met her gaze for a moment before letting it flicker towards the bassinet in the living room. "How's the little girl?"  
Rapunzel's face split into a grin. "She's so precious!" Rapunzel lit into an explanation of how well she slept through the night, except for when she wanted fed, and so on and so forth, this and that. Eugene took this time to watch her father, noticing a faint, abnormal tint to his skin. He didn't ask, though, figuring it might be rude.

After supper, Charles held the baby and fed her while Rapunzel took photos of Missy and her granddad. He eventually left for his house in Buffalo, and Rapunzel cleaned the kitchen (after wrestling the duty away from Eugene, trading tasks so he could have some quality time with Missy) while Eugene headed up the spiral staircase to get Missy dressed for bed and settled into the crib in their bedroom.  
"Missy Elaine," Eugene said her name in a singsong voice, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb until she gave a reflexive smile. "Cutie. Were you good for mum today? Let's get you dressed for bed." He worked quickly - defying the stereotype that fathers can't even put a diaper on the right way - and then sat with her on the bed, cuddling her and talking softly until she was lulled to sleep. Of course, he was spinning a story as he spoke - may as well get her started on stories early!

Rapunzel made her way up to the bedroom just in time to see Eugene settling Missy into the crib, pink fuzzy blanket tucked neatly around her.  
"She asleep?" Rapunzel asked quietly.  
"Mmhm," Eugene nodded, smiling down at the sleeping face before looking over at his wife, who had strode over to join him.  
"She's such a dear," Rapunzel murmured, reaching to stroke a few strands of her daughter's brown downy hair away from her eyes. "I don't want her to grow up, _ever._"  
He chuckled softly. "Most parents hit that realization when they start to walk, or even graduate high school. Not when they're three weeks old!"  
"Well, I'm starting early," she said. She wanted to keep her baby a, well,_ baby _forever: that way she could fold her up in her arms and keep her safe from all harm as long as she lived. She'd never know heartache. She'd only know love. Eugene watched Rapunzel and seemed to realize what she was thinking. "I know," he nodded, reaching to pull her into his side.  
"What?" she asked.  
"You don't want to let go..." he started, in case he was wrong.  
She nodded. "And know that some way, some how, she's gonna get hurt."  
"She's at an advantage already, though, as opposed to us," he reassured her.  
"How?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.  
"Because," he plopped a kiss on her forehead to ease the wrinkles of confusion running across it, "she's got an awesome mom."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and patted his back, slipping away so she could brush her hair. "And a great dad. By the way, thank you for the book. That was really sweet," she said.  
He grinned, embarrassed.


	10. Chapter 10

Late April brought their first Easter with Missy _and _Charles. Since Missy was only two months old at the time, Rapunzel dressed her in a frilly dress and she got a soft purple bunny plush to feel and cuddle with. The couple took turns working in the kitchen and playing with Missy - who rarely was ever put down or left in her bassinet unless she was sleeping; even not then, sometimes. Charles came over in the afternoon and stole the baby away from both of them for some quiet time with his 'grandbaby girl'.  
"Does he look well to you?" Eugene asked quietly in Rapunzel's ear as she was slicing potatoes for scallop potatoes.  
Rapunzel bit her lip, peering at her father. He was still thin as ever and something just didn't look _right_ with him. "I've been trying to figure it out myself, but I don't know. Maybe he just works a lot and doesn't get a good enough diet or enough sleep. He's said that when he leaves here, he sometimes gets called in for overtime and that's _late_."  
Eugene nodded. "Could be. I don't want to ask him about it because, well..."  
"Yeah," Rapunzel nodded as well. "Don't ask him. If there's something wrong, he'll tell us."

The week after Easter, Rapunzel was back to brooding over Eugene's parents' crash. How did they relate to Veronica? Why had she killed them? Was it an accident? Did they have as dark a past as Veronica did? Surely not. Nonetheless, she called the police department and asked for information on the case, explaining that she was Eugene's wife.  
The gravelly-voiced man on the other end of the phone told her that, unfortunately, they could not disclose any information. She added that she was the adoptive child of Veronica Conily, but that didn't help. Thinking fast, Rapunzel glanced towards Missy and bit her lip.  
"Okay. Thank you. And while I'm at it, may I set up a visit with Veronica Conily?" She couldn't believe she was saying this, but she wanted to know why she'd killed Eugene's parents. She was certain that Eugene would appreciate knowing, too.  
The appointment was made for tomorrow morning. Rapunzel shuddered at the thought of sitting face to face with the terrible woman, with just a desk and a thick, clear barrier between them.

And then she found herself seated right there, facing the woman who had caused so much pain. Missy was held close to Rapunzel with the floral sling she'd found, and Rapunzel was glad that the baby couldn't look out and see her. Her gray hair was matted and her piercing eyes tried to stab Rapunzel's heart, but she'd already been hurt there so many times before.  
"Look who came back," she grated, her gaze flickering over what she could see of Rapunzel's form and the baby carrier situated in front of her. "Does history repeat itself? Left with a baby on your own?"  
"It wasn't like that, and it isn't now," Rapunzel said, trying to soothe the tremor in her voice and her hands, which developed a layer of cold sweat. Her stomach twisted, and she wondered if she'd throw up. Her grip tightened on the phone. "But I have one question for you."  
"And what is that, flower?" she asked coolly, watching for Rapunzel's reaction to the nickname. Rapunzel pushed down the memories pressing against her skull.  
"You killed Eugene's parents, Joshua and Elaine Fitzherbert. Your first. Why?" She asked this quickly - she wanted out of here _now_. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea.  
Veronica sat back, a cruel smile crawling across her face. Her explanation came out in a stage whisper that only Rapunzel could hear through the phone, her voice scraping across Rapunzel's eardrums and threatening to drive her insane. "I remember that one. It was an accident. But when I ran to help them, I saw what I'd done. The blood spilling forth from his skull; how limp she was. It was beautiful and I knew I had to have more. I saw the baby in the backseat, and I thought about killing it, too. But I figured I'd done enough damage - it would end up just like _you_. Useless and unwanted."  
Rapunzel licked her lips. "Thank you for clarifying." She started to drop the phone, to flee the building, but Veronica's deadly stare caught her eyes and forced her to stay put, like a mouse cornered by a venomous snake.

"I still have connections, you know. You're not safe. Neither is that precious child of yours," Veronica's gaze dropped to the sling almost hungrily, and Rapunzel set the phone down, stood up, and tried to leave as calmly as she could. She could hear the enraged screams Veronica aimed at her. She'd found the one hole in Veronica's threat, though: _You can't leave me here to die alone! _Rapunzel had been her only visitor in two years.

Rapunzel settled in the back seat of her small car to feed Missy, and she started to cry. "I'm so sorry for taking you in there, baby girl. I should have never taken you. I'm so sorry." Somehow, she was afraid that Veronica's mere presence could have hurt Missy. "I'm so sorry." Missy stared up at her mother and her thin eyebrows furrowed, sensing her mother's angst. She realized that her baby was on the verge of crying as well - because _she _was upset - and took several gulping breaths, trying to quiet herself. Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a phone call, so she waited until Missy had eaten, been burped, and had been situated back into her car seat before she returned the call, which was from her father.  
"Hey, Dad," Rapunzel cleared her throat and looked in the rearview mirror, wiping at her eyes. "What's up?"  
"Hi, dear. What're you doing?"  
"Oh, I'm out with our little miss," she twisted around in her seat to look at the car seat once more. "Going to, ah, get some formula."  
"I see," he said, and Rapunzel could hear the smile in his voice. "Give her a hug and a kiss from granddad, okay? I, ah, listen. I got called out on a maintenance call to...Ohio, I think? And I might be gone awhile. I'm sorry I have to go this afternoon and can't stop by."  
Rapunzel was surprised by the news. "O-okay. When will you be back?"  
"Not sure. It's, ah, pretty messy, by the sounds of things," he chuckled. "I'm sorry."  
"No, it's fine," she said. "I'll see you when you get back. I love you, Dad!"  
"I love you too, sweetheart," he said. He punched 'end' on the phone before he could say goodbye.

"You did _what_? Are you _nuts_?!" Eugene asked, his voice growing louder with each word.  
Rapunzel's eyes widened, filled with tears, and her gaze dropped to her dishcloth. She rubbed violently at the skillet in the sink. "Maybe," she said quietly. He hadn't taken well to the news that she'd gone and talked to Veronica about his parents' crash. "But I wanted to know why. And I thought you would, too." She wasn't about to apologize.  
Eugene took a huge breath and stared at her. It did no good to flip out on her - she'd already gone and she'd done it partly for him. No, he wasn't going to yell at her. There was no need to, and he could see he'd already hurt her. "I'm sorry," he started after he'd calmed down. "I just...can't believe you did that. But what's done is done. And it does help to know it was an accident. Thank you."  
She swallowed and nodded, still focused on the sink. She knew she was overreacting, but she hadn't expected Eugene to yell. "I was stupid to do it, I know. But...curiosity killed the cat, I guess," she shrugged and grinned in a self-deprecating manner.  
He sighed and shook his head, turning away to wipe down the center counter. "And yelling never helped anything."  
"That's not a...a saying, is it?" Rapunzel turned around and asked.  
Eugene shook his head. "No. Should I coin it?" he asked, grasping at something to ease the awkward air around them.  
She laughed softly.


	11. Chapter 11

Nothing came of Veronica's threats - little surprise there. Rapunzel was her first and last visitor in prison. All of her contacts had been found and sentenced before the threat had even been made.  
Rapunzel's father didn't come back for a week, then for three, then for a month. He called every single day, though, and let her know that he was actually taking some vacation time to explore the state. He didn't know exactly when he'd come back, since he had a lot of vacation time stocked up from the year. Rapunzel was a little confused as to how that worked, but she didn't question it. He always ended the call without a goodbye, but always an "I love you and your entire family."  
Eugene finally received a response from one of the two publishing companies - this one was in Kansas - and he was delighted to know that they were willing to allow him to conference from home and around his work schedule. Rapunzel was beyond happy, too, since she had been so worried he would give up his gift just to stay close to home with them. And little Missy Elaine grew way too fast.

With the spring-on-the-verge-of-summer breeze of May came Rapunzel's annual haircut and the end of Rapunzel's maternity leave time. This realization hit when Rapunzel was sitting on the couch with Eugene after he came home from work.  
"What are we going to do with our little miss, now that I don't have any more time left for maternity leave?" she asked, glancing towards her husband. One arm was wrapped around her and the other hand held a pencil, which scribbled rapidly across the page. He was in the 'groove' of writing - meaning he'd been writing for two hours straight and daydreaming the whole day _about _writing.  
He glanced towards her in surprise, as if she'd jolted him awake. "Hm?"  
She laughed softly, repeating the question. As she spoke, Missy herself woke up and announced this with a quiet, almost questioning, coo. Rapunzel hopped up from her spot on the couch and promptly went to scoop her up and give her a cuddle, since her feeding time wasn't quite here. "What're we gonna do with you, munchkin?" she asked, kissing her forehead and cheeks. She smiled down at her daughter when the child grinned and made a pleasant sound.

Eugene's mouth was skewed off to the side as he considered her question. "I doubt you could take her to work. Mr. Barnes, I'm sure, would be fine with you doing so, but I'd be afraid that-"  
"-With the boxes and books I'm lifting and shelving, and things that fall down, I can't have her in the sling right in front of me," Rapunzel finished, meeting his eyes to make sure she'd guessed correctly. That was _her _main concern, anyway.  
He nodded. "Exactly. And when she gets older, she won't be able to stay in the sling."  
She nibbled her lip. "Then when she gets even _older_, we'd both be away at work and she'd come home from school to an empty house. I don't want that."  
"I don't either," he shook his head. "If absolutely necessary, I suppose we'll _have _to, but - I don't think it's all that necessary. If you don't want to work, then I say you should resign."  
She nodded, swallowing. She wasn't sure how to feel about it. She loved the bookstore, but she loved her baby girl more . They'd be stable, still, financially. She didn't _need _to work. "I suppose so. I hate to quit - I mean, they're all _so _kind - but I also want to be here for Missy." Rapunzel ducked her head to look at the baby, who was watching the conversation intently.

Eugene nodded. "Well, do _you _want to work and I stay here and work on books?" he asked. "I don't want to make you stay home if you don't want to."  
"I _do_, I just don't want to leave them. I-...It doesn't even make sense to _me_!" she laughed awkwardly. "It's not like we'll never see them again, I suppose. Especially since you're still working there for the time being."  
Eugene kissed her forehead and scooped the baby out of her arms. "Well, you can think about it. But for right now, I'm stealing the baby."  
She grinned. "Go right on ahead - she probably needs her diaper checked before she eats."  
"Okay, take her back," Eugene joked, and she swatted his arm teasingly. "I'll change if you grab a diaper."  
Rapunzel bounded up the stairs, her usual energy and agility returning to her after her pregnancy, and she grabbed a tiny diaper and the packet of baby wipes from the nursery. As she passed by her painting room - slash - library, a thought struck her. She bounced down the stairs with twice as much energy.

"What if I tried to sell paintings? I did plenty when I was eighteen and trying to save up to get the house. And people bought them, too, a lot! I just sold them on the sidewalk. Of course, that means I'd be buying quite a lot of paint, but the price of the paintings would offset that. I think. Well, of course it would - duh! Then I could stay home with Missy and still be contributing to the income a little bit. What do you think?" She handed him the diaper and wipes and stared at him, her wide green eyes glittering with excitement and expecting an answer.

Eugene slowly settled Missy on the couch as he tried to mull over all the information she'd just thrown at him, in true rapid-fire-Rapunzel manner. After he'd changed the baby's diaper and had pulled her frilly green skirt back up over her polka-dot onesie, he managed to answer. "If you got enough money from paintings and what you made from work to get a down payment on a _house_, Rapunzel, I think your paintings were pretty popular. If you think you can do what you love without it becoming a chore, go for it. Just don't ruin the enjoyment by turning it into a _job_. You know what I mean?" he asked.  
She nodded, reaching to brush Missy's hair away from her eyes with slim, cool fingertips as Eugene settled the little one into his arms. "Yeah. I don't think it would get to be a _job, _though. I have way too much fun with it. Even when I was making paintings for the down payment."  
He chuckled. "Yeah, since you're typically covered from head to toe with a rainbow of colors by the time you're done with a canvas, I know you have too much fun. Go for it," he gave her a crooked grinned. "Just don't catch little Missy in the crossfire of whatever you do that gets you covered in paint. Don't think she'd appreciate it yet."


	12. Chapter 12

The phone slipped from Rapunzel's grasp. Her slim fingers clapped over her mouth, and she bit back a choking sob that would certainly wake her daughter.  
She leaned up against the wall by the front door, sliding down to the floor. Her shaking right hand reached for her cell phone and somehow, she managed to dial Eugene's number. He picked up on the second ring. _Thank goodness. _  
"Hey, sweets. How's your day going?" he asked.  
She gulped. "D-dad's...did you know?"  
"Know what?" She could hear Levi talking quietly in the background.  
"Dad...the hospital...the hospital just called and Dad passed away, he had cancer and-and we're supposed to go collect his personal effects," she choked. She didn't know how to even _say _it. It hardly even registered to her.  
"_What_?" Eugene yelped. "He..he said he was going on a business trip!"  
Rapunzel swallowed a sob. "He didn't want us to know,"  
Eugene huffed on the other end of the phone. He was frustrated, confused, horrified, and...he didn't quite know what. "I'm an hour and a half away from home-"  
"I can pack Missy up and go pick his things up from the hospital," Rapunzel broke him off, thinking he was _mad _at her for some reason.  
"No. That's not what I'm saying-no, don't go. I don't want you driving right now. I don't know how upset you are, but I don't want you driving. Okay?"  
She choked again. "Okay."  
"Sweetie..." he trailed off and sighed, not sure what to say. "I'm so sorry. We'll be home as soon as possible. Or...I'll be. I don't know. I can't..." he must've pressed the 'finish call' button before he was done talking.  
Rapunzel took a few deep breaths, but it only succeeded in making her feel ready to pass out. She heard a quiet whimper, then a louder wail, and so she scrambled to her feet, rushing to the bassinet in the living room.  
"Sh, baby girl," she said, cuddling the yowling baby while she hurried to get a bottle ready for her, trying to calm the shaking of her hands so she didn't spill the formula everywhere. She felt like her whole world was in a fog, and she couldn't quite make anything out. She presented her baby with the bottle and as she suckled hungrily, Rapunzel focused on her. Her doe eyes, which alternated between staring at her pensively to being squeezed shut. Her tiny fingers that felt the plastic bottle and thick clumps of brown hair poked at haphazard angles.

Rapunzel smoothed the child's downy hair down, blinking back the tears threatening to dribble down her freckled cheeks. Once she was finished with the bottle, Rapunzel cuddled her until she fell asleep once more. Even then, she just held her close. When Eugene came home, he was there with a comforting word and an awkward hug around Missy, who Rapunzel refused to set down.

At the hospital, Eugene stayed in the car with Missy while Rapunzel collected his personal effects. One of the ladies at the hospital gave her a sad smile and a plastic bag which held his clothes and a single piece of paper. She spoke some long string of words that seemed nonsensical. Rapunzel eventually found herself back in her car, clipping her seatbelt with a shuddering sigh.  
"Did they say anything?" he asked.  
She nodded. "Something about his cancer...liver and then it spread, I think? I-I couldn't make myself focus long enough to hear her out. I'm-...I'm sorry," she bit her lip a little too hard and made it bleed.  
He un-clipped his seatbelt and leaned over to hug her. "It's okay, baby girl. I'm so sorry." When he pulled away, he wiped the tears that were cutting harsh channels down her cheeks, blinking away the ones that had threatened to fall down his own face.  
"How...how did I miss it? His weight loss...his-_everything_!" she cried, but then she remembered the baby in the backseat and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "Maybe if I'd known, he..I could've gotten him to take treatment, or..."  
"Maybe it was too advanced," Eugene shook his head. "You can't blame yourself."  
She took a few deep breaths and licked her lips, becoming aware of the stinging blood on her lower one. Glancing down at her lap as she remembered the paper in the plastic bag, she reached inside of it with trembling fingers to extract it.  
"What's that?" Eugene asked, glancing in the rear view mirror. He pulled the car's stick shift into reverse and glanced over his shoulder to back out of the parking slot.  
Rapunzel's vibrant green eyes flicked over the page, glistening with tears that she blinked away so she could see. Her fingers hovered over her mouth. When she finished, she took a shuddering breath. She could fall apart later. She couldn't be a bawling mess in the car. She could slip out of bed later and curl up on the couch for a good cry tonight.

"He wrote us something." She cleared her throat, trying to cut through the thick emotions clogging and squeezing it, and then she started to read it.  
_Rapunzel and Eugene,  
I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want this to get in the way. In July of last year, I was diagnosed with cancer. Well, I was given a year to live and the doctors were pretty close to right, which is fine. I didn't want to mess with treatments at first, but after I got to know you, I wanted to but it was too late. I'm okay with it, though. I want you to be as well.  
I told you I was on a business trip and then went on vacation, but I obviously didn't. I knew my health was failing and had to stay put in the hospital for the past month and a half or so. I also didn't want anyone to see me like this.  
Rapunzel, I'm sorry for everything. There are so many things I should have done. I'm so thankful that I got to know you, though. You're such a beautiful person and I'm so proud of you. I don't want you to be upset or blame yourself for anything. Eugene, I'm grateful to know that my girl's safe in your hands. Thank you. And it'd be appreciated if someone would give Missy Elaine an extra kiss on the cheek for me. I'm blessed to have met her.  
_

_Everything is in order. I'm sorry to burden you with the funeral and cleaning the house up. You'll be getting information in the mail about all this within a week, but I've included everything you need to know about the funeral below. Or you can just go up to the house when you have time. The key should be in my wallet and the safe is underneath my bed. That's where everything's kept._

_Well, I'd like to wrap this up with a nice little bow, but I don't know how, really. I'm sorry and I love you and your little family so very much. I'm thankful that you included me in your life. I want you to know that because of that, you've helped me achieve my only life goal - or dream, as you'd say. So don't sit around and mope or be sad. Live your dreams. There's so much out there, baby girl._  
_I love you so much._  
_Dad_

Late that night, Rapunzel slipped out of bed and padded downstairs to the couch so she could cry. Sleep didn't visit her. All she could think of was that her daddy had died alone in the hospital and she hadn't even known. She should have figured it out. Should have pressed him about his health. But would it have helped? She felt so lost. She didn't even know how she could feel so desperately alone when she'd known him for less than a year. But Charles was her father, the one she'd longed to know for over a decade! How could he have been taken away from her so soon, so harshly? She curled up in a ball underneath a blanket despite the overly-warm, early June air. It was something she'd always done as a little kid - she felt like she could hide from the world. This time, though, it didn't help anything. When she heard footsteps creaking down the stairs, she held her breath and curbed her sniffling sobs, falling dead silent. For some reason, she thought she could escape a conversation with Eugene about this if she fell quiet. Not like he wouldn't have noticed her absence, anyway, she thought.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to go through this alone." She felt the couch depress with his weight beside her, so she sighed and pushed her blanket away.  
"I didn't want to wake you," she pulled her knees up to her chin. "Sorry."  
"You didn't," he shook his head and pushed aside a yawn that rose up in his throat. "I just woke up and wondered what you were up to. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could do something to help you. Want to talk about it?"  
She rubbed her nose. "I don't know. I don't even know why I'm so upset. I've only known him for less than a year."  
"But you loved him - he was your dad, for goodness' sake. No matter how long you knew him, you're gonna miss him. And that's okay." Eugene set his hand on her shoulder, and she nodded silently.  
"I guess. But...how could he be gone just...just so fast? It just...I guess it was because he didn't tell us, but..."  
"But if he would've told us, it would've been like this for the entire time we knew him," he said softly. She agreed, and they both fell silent, not knowing quite what to say and their hearts aching. He pulled her to his side for a few minutes, but then she mentioned going back upstairs before Missy woke up for her next feeding.  
"Okay. Don't be afraid to wake me if you need someone, okay?" he said.  
She nodded as they rounded the top of the stairs, her tone hushed so she wouldn't wake Missy. "Okay. How are you holding up?"  
He shrugged. "I just feel like I'm in a fog and nothing makes sense, really, and...I'm just waiting for us to wake up and he'll be back for supper."  
Rapunzel bit her lip. "Yeah," she breathed. She reached to hug him, and he placed a few kisses in her hair.

Missy whimpered quietly, and Rapunzel pulled out of his embrace. "C'mere, sweetie. Are you hungry, or do you want a hug too?" she asked, hurrying to scoop the child out of the crib. Eugene flipped on the light and padded downstairs to get a bottle made up. Rapunzel kissed her cheeks and the little one smiled, completely content with a cuddle for a moment. It was fine by Rapunzel.


	13. Chapter 13

They went to Charles' house immediately in order to find out funeral information. Rapunzel didn't even know who to contact or invite to the funeral, so they put the information into his obituary and hoped someone would show up. Few people did. There were some from his job, but not many other than that. Rapunzel greeted everyone quietly, and Eugene stood beside her with Missy in his arms. He was laid to rest in a cemetery in Buffalo. By then, Rapunzel was completely drained emotionally, and not a tear was shed. She stood and gazed at her father's casket, wondering how she possibly managed to be standing here right now. She hadn't even known him this time last year, but now she was attending his funeral. She'd never dealt with true personal loss before - abuse, yes, and running away from home, but she'd never permanently lost anyone she loved. An ache settled around her heart and her stomach seemed permanently twisted into a knot.

Two days later, it was Saturday, and Rapunzel wanted to start clearing out her father's house as soon as possible. She didn't want to wait - while she still hurt, she wanted to get it all over with. So they packed Missy Elaine up in the car, along with her playpen and sling. When they pulled up to her father's small, cottage-like house, Rapunzel took in a deep, shuddering breath as she un-clipped her seat belt.  
"You don't have to today," Eugene reminded her once more, fixing her with a concerned gaze. She continued to stare out the windshield, so he reached over and eased her chin in his direction, meeting her eyes as he repeated the statement. He hated seeing the ache in those green eyes of hers. Her black lashes batted thoughtfully as she seriously considered turning around and going home.  
"No," she finally shook her head. "You're off, we just drove over here...we'll get started today."  
He nodded, getting out of the car and getting the playpen out of the trunk while Rapunzel got Missy out of her car seat.

The gray cottage was small and cluttered. Washed-out blue coated the walls, except for the bedroom and bathroom, which were a beige color. Directly inside the front door, there was a small room with a single couch, which sat before a television set. A door led to the kitchen and dining room, if it could even be called such. Down a hallway was her father's bedroom and bathroom, which were cluttered. A door leading to a staircase indicated an attic.  
"Well...where do we start?" Eugene asked.  
Rapunzel bit her lip. She could, maybe, pretend she was just cleaning some random person's house. But no, the 'logic' side of her brain laughed at that idea.  
"Um..kitchen, I suppose. Need to get it cleared out in case there's any food in there." She readjusted the sling that held her daughter close, and then plunged into the outstanding odor that burst from the door. A moment later, she tore back out of the room. "Eugene, you take Missy. I'll clean the kitchen, I just don't want her around the mold. Oh, good_ness, _it stinks. If you want, maybe you could clean up the...the living room or something."  
"Trade?" he asked. "I can handle moldy food. That's what digging through Dumpsters will do for you," he gave her a wry grin, and she didn't hesitate to trade duties. Eugene covered his nose and yelled _I'm goin' in! _to try and lighten the mood, which did make Rapunzel giggle.  
"Oh, brave soul, _bless _you!" she cried after him, playing along. "Open all the windows to release the beast!" she said as she slammed the door behind him. Missy gazed up at her with a look crossed between curiosity and a little bit of worry - after all, her mother typically didn't even raise her voice - and she smiled softly, plopping a kiss on her forehead before quietly announcing they were cleaning out the living room.

They worked for the entire day on the house, and got it to resemble cleanliness. They hauled at least three garbage bags full of...well...garbage out, and would return tomorrow after the church sermon to start going through his belongings. As they left the house, Eugene glanced towards Rapunzel. "Want me to pick up a pizza or something? Or the diner."  
Rapunzel nodded, yawning. "That would be spectacular." She twisted around in her seat to look at Missy, who was sleeping in the car seat. "She's such a good little baby! Hardly made a peep. When I wasn't carrying her, she was playing all quiet-like in her playpen."  
He nodded. "I hope her quiet sweetness carries through her teen years," he chuckled.  
"Mhmm," Rapunzel grinned.

When they got home, the mailbox was stuffed _full _with envelopes, those large orange envelopes, and the monthly round of bills, which had accumulated between Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  
"Oops," Rapunzel winced, waving the mound to show Eugene before plopping it on the table beside their box of pizza.  
He chuckled. "No harm done. We've both been preoccupied." Rapunzel settled down with a bottle for Missy and after they blessed the food, she fed her wide-eyed little dear while she ate as well. After dinner, they both started sorting through the mail.  
Rapunzel made a sound indicating recognition as she opened some letters, which included Charles' deed. Her eyes widened, and then she curled in on herself, biting back a sob so she wouldn't concern the baby still settled in her lap. She wordlessly handed the paper to Eugene.  
"His life savings he wants set aside for Missy's college fund, and he's giving us the house to rent out or sell," Eugene murmured.

Rapunzel shook her head. "He hardly even knew us."  
"But he loved you, Rapunzel. He always did," he said. "And everything turned out just the way it was meant to be. While you didn't know him nearly as long as you should have, you at least got to know him and understand that he _wanted _you and loved you very much."  
She nodded, but she couldn't push aside the pain that grasped hold of her, demanding to be felt. "I know," she said in a small voice. "A-and...and little Missy _did _get to meet him, she just...she won't know him. He did everything that he wanted to do with me, I suppose."


	14. Chapter 14

June twenty-first, Father's Day, came with a much lighter mood than the rest of the month had been spent in. Rapunzel got out of bed bright and early to make a breakfast of French toast, eggs, and iced tea for Eugene's first Father's Day. Instead of going to church, they were planning on spending the day finding Eugene's parents' gravestones, which were supposedly located an hour north. In addition to that, they were heading to Charles' gravestone, since it was Father's Day.

Rapunzel sang quietly to Missy, who was settled in the floral sling and peering up at her mother as she cooked. The eggs sizzled on the skillet, and Rapunzel bustled around the kitchen. She had bounced back quickly after they'd finished cleaning her father's place up. She still missed him sorely, of course, but knew that moping around never helped anything. She had no other reason to be sad - she had a loving husband a beautiful baby girl, and a very understanding chameleon that still felt a little bent out of shape over Missy's arrival. Dad was probably in a better place now; at least she hoped so.

Eugene was barely able to drag himself out of bed. It had been a late night going over Rapunzel's editing notes and he was _not _a morning person. He wondered how on earth he'd ever married such an early bird - the girl he now paused to watch as she sang softly and hurried around the kitchen with her usual energy. A smile spread across his face as he realized this - seeing her so devastated over her father's death had nearly torn his heart to shreds.  
He wandered over and slipped his arms around her from behind, planting a few kisses in her hair and then resting his head on her shoulder, grinning down at Missy. The baby beamed up at him and waved her arms towards him.  
"I'm happy to see you're in a good mood," he said in her ear, making her shudder away and grin, tilting her head back so she could see him. He stole a quick kiss and then slipped the sling off of her. "I'm stealing this baby. Okay?"  
She laughed. "Okay. I'll share if I have to. Breakfast should be ready soon."  
"You're amazing," he winked, setting the sling over the back of his chair and cradling Missy as he sat. "Hi, baby girl! You're in a sunshiny mood too, aren't you!"  
Rapunzel grinned as she listened to Missy's babbling and cooing, in response to Eugene's animated speech. She brushed her hair out of her face as she dished the food out and set it on the table, waving at Missy as she hurried past to get silverware and the still-lukewarm iced tea.

The little cemetery that held Eugene's parents was run-down. Apparently, the groundskeeper didn't do his job very well, since there was a tangle of overgrown weeds and crooked stones. When they finally found Eugene's parents, he sighed with mild dismay at the weeds wrapping around their stones. Rapunzel shifted Missy to one arm and knelt in front of the stones, silently tugging at the weeds. Eugene did as well, and pretty soon the weeds were cleared away and replaced with the small bouquet of flowers they'd picked up for each grave. He knelt quietly in the dirt, grass staining his jeans, and stared at the stones as he wondered what his parents would have been like. Certainly, if he had never been orphaned, he never would have known half of the hardships he'd known, but he also would never have been homeless; his path may have never intertwined with the girl beside him. He certainly couldn't feel sad for his poor unfortunate little self. But he could feel disappointment over never knowing his parents, if they were good people. Twenty-three and twenty-seven was way too young for anyone to die, too.

They retraced their steps after they left cemetery number one and headed two hours south-west for cemetery number two - the one that held Rapunzel's father. A quiet, pattering rain had settled in, so Rapunzel headed in herself - much as Eugene hated to let her do, but someone had to stay in the car with Missy. She found the shiny gravestone quickly. At least this cemetery kept things much neater than the other. She set the final small bouquet on the gravestone and looked at the fresh mound of dirt still piled around; not yet settled. She gave a sad smile as she patted the gravestone, noticing a small patch of grass sprouting and beginning to grow in the dirt. Even in the face of death and sadness, she decided, life still went on; thrived, grew beautiful.


End file.
